Chinese Chicken Soup and Crispy Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 head Garlic head (cut in half)
• 1 unit Medium onion (pierced with 2 cloves)
• 200 g Leeks (green part) (cut into sections)
• 1 unit Carrot (peeled and sliced)
• 1 kg Poultry carcass (already deboned)
• 1 bouquet Bunch of parsley
• 2 units Bay leaves
• 10 grains Black peppercorns
• 2 L Water
• 20 g Fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
• 30 g Green onion (white part) (white part only, minced)
• 300 g Chicken breast (cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 1 tbsp Table oil
• 1 tsp Sesame oil (for Asian aroma)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Black pepper
• ½ tsp Curry powder
• 100 g Button mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 bouquet Bunch of cilantro (leaves separated)
• 30 g Dried black mushrooms (rehydrated then chopped)
• 80 g Chinese vermicelli (soaked 10 min then drained)
• 5 g Cornstarch (diluted in 20 ml cold water)
• 1 slice Lemon (for serving)
• 10 units Rice paper (for the spring rolls)
• 200 g Ground chicken breast (for the filling)
• 1 unit Egg yolk
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce (optional, for the filling)
• enough Frying oil (for frying at 180 °C)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken broth

   Cut the garlic head in half, the onion pierced with cloves, the leeks (green part) and the carrot. Place the poultry carcass in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the vegetables, the bunch of parsley, the bay leaves and the peppercorns. Cover with water.

   Time: PT15M

2. Simmer the broth

   Let cook over medium heat for 50 minutes, skimming regularly the foam that forms on the surface.

   Time: PT50M

   Temperature: Moyen

3. Strain and store the broth

   Strain the broth using a fine sieve. Reserve the liquid in a large container. The broth keeps 1 week in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer (in silicone trays then freezer bags).

   Time: PT5M

4. Prepare the aromatics

   Peel and finely chop the ginger, crush the white part of the green onion with the garlic. Set aside.

   Time: PT5M

5. Brown the chicken

   In the wok, heat a drizzle of table oil and sesame oil over high heat. Add the chicken breast cubes and brown for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until a light golden color is achieved.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Feu vif

6. Add aromatics and broth

   Stir in the ginger, garlic‑green onion, chopped button mushrooms, soy sauce, salt, pepper and curry. Pour in the strained broth, add the bunch of cilantro and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: Moyen

7. Rehydrate black mushrooms and vermicelli

   Place the dried black mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and chop. Do the same with the Chinese vermicelli, drain well.

   Time: PT10M

8. Prepare the cornstarch slurry

   Mix 5 g of cornstarch with 20 ml cold water until a smooth paste forms.

   Time: PT2M

9. Finish the soup

   Add the vermicelli and rehydrated black mushrooms to the soup, then stir in the slurry. Gently mix for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove the cilantro bunch.

   Time: PT5M

10. Garnish the soup

    Sprinkle the soup with chopped green onion, fresh cilantro leaves and add a lemon slice just before serving.

    Time: PT2M

11. Prepare the spring roll filling

    In a bowl, combine ground chicken breast, vermicelli and drained black mushrooms, grated carrot, onion, garlic, ginger, egg yolk, soy sauce, fish sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch. Knead until a homogeneous filling is obtained.

    Time: PT15M

12. Form the spring rolls

    Dip each rice paper for 2 seconds in warm water, place it on a clean cloth. Put 1 tbsp of filling in the center, fold the sides then roll tightly. Repeat for all sheets.

    Time: PT15M

13. Dry the rolls

    Place the rolls on a rack or tray and let them dry for 30 minutes at room temperature. They should be firm but not completely dry.

    Time: PT30M

14. First fry

    Heat the frying oil to 180 °C. Submerge the rolls (without touching each other) and fry for 4‑5 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 180°C

15. Second fry (deep‑fry or air‑fryer)

    For an ultra‑crispy texture, repeat the fry for 4‑5 minutes or, alternatively, cook the rolls for 15 minutes at 200 °C in an air‑fryer. Let rest 2 minutes before serving.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 180°C

16. Serving

    Serve the soup piping hot in bowls, accompanied by crispy spring rolls and miokm sauce (or nuoc‑mam sauce).

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

25 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

12 g

Fiber

4 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Medium onion: shallot
• Instead of Leeks (green part): green onion
• Instead of Poultry carcass: chicken bones
• Instead of Fresh ginger: ginger paste
• Instead of Green onion (white part): spring onion
• Instead of Chicken breast: turkey
• Instead of Table oil: rapeseed oil
• Instead of Sesame oil: walnut oil
• Instead of Curry powder: garam masala
• Instead of Button mushrooms: shiitake
• Instead of Soy sauce: tamari
• Instead of Bunch of cilantro: flat-leaf parsley
• Instead of Dried black mushrooms: dried shiitake
• Instead of Chinese vermicelli: rice noodles
• Instead of Cornstarch: arrow-root
• Instead of Rice paper: rice cakes
• Instead of Ground chicken breast: ground pork
• Instead of Egg yolk: whole beaten egg
• Instead of Fish sauce: soy sauce
• Instead of Frying oil: peanut oil

Equipment Needed

• Heavy-bottomed pot
• Wok or large skillet
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Wooden spoon
• Sieve or strainer
• Mixing bowl
• Clean cloth
• Paper towels
• Cooking thermometer (optional)
• Deep fryer or deep skillet

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Simmer the broth for 50 minutes to develop the flavors.
• Brown the chicken before adding the broth to create depth of flavor.
• Prepare the cornstarch slurry and add it off the heat to avoid lumps.
• Properly dry the rolls before frying to prevent them from bursting.
• Double fry the rolls to achieve the characteristic crispiness.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Add a small handful of lemon zest to the broth for an extra citrus note.
• Use homemade broth instead of bouillon cubes for a more authentic flavor.
• For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with firm tofu and the broth with vegetable broth.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Broth: up to 5 days in an airtight jar. Soup: 3 days. Rolls: 2 days, kept refrigerated on paper towels.

Freezer: Broth: up to 6 months in silicone trays then freezer bags. Rolls: up to 3 months, frozen separately.

Room temperature: Do not leave the soup or rolls at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the broth the day before and freeze in portions.
• Form the rolls and freeze raw; they cook directly from the freezer.
• The cornstarch slurry can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 1 day.