Homemade Chicken and Napa Cabbage Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 250 g Type 55 wheat flour (For the noodle dough)
• 1 unit Egg yolk (Incorporate into the flour mixture)
• ½ teaspoon Salt (Dissolved in water)
• 150 ml Water (For the dough (plus 1 L for the broth))
• 1 unit Chicken stock cube (Dissolved in 1 L boiling water)
• 300 g Chicken breast (Sliced 5 mm then cut into 2‑3 mm strips)
• 200 g Napa cabbage (Cut into 1 cm wide strips)
• 30 g Dried shiitake (Soak for 2 h before use)
• 1 small Scallion (bunch) (Separate the bulb (chopped) and the green part (reserved))
• 2 units Garlic clove (Finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) (Mildly spicy, adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Sesame oil (Added at the end of cooking)
• 2 tablespoons Neutral cooking oil (For sautéing garlic, onion and chicken)
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce (Season the broth)
• 1 tablespoon Potato starch (Diluted in a little water, thickens the broth)

Instructions

1. Prepare the noodle dough

   Pour the flour into a bowl, add the egg yolk, dissolve the salt in the water and incorporate it. Knead for 5 minutes until a homogeneous dough forms.

   Time: PT5M

2. First dough rest

   Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

   Time: PT15M

3. Prepare the vegetables and chicken

   Cut the napa cabbage into 1 cm strips, remove the stems from the shiitake and cut into batons, chop the onion bulb, mince the green part, mince the garlic, slice the chicken breast into 5 mm slices then into 2‑3 mm strips. Keep the chicken refrigerated.

   Time: PT15M

4. Second dough rest

   Re‑knead the dough for 3‑4 minutes, form a ball, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

   Time: PT34M

5. Roll out and cut the noodles

   Divide the dough in two, roll each portion to about 1 mm thickness, flour, fold a third towards the centre, flour again, fold and cut into 2‑3 mm strips. Flour the strips separately to prevent sticking.

   Time: PT20M

6. Cook the fresh noodles

   Drop the strips into a large pot of boiling water, cook for 2 minutes, then rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 100°C

7. Sauté aromatics and chicken

   In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium heat, add the garlic and onion bulb, sauté for 20 seconds, then add the chicken and cook 5‑6 minutes until lightly browned.

   Time: PT7M

8. Add broth and vegetables

   Pour the litre of water with the stock cube, add the rehydrated shiitake, the napa cabbage, the gochugaru and the soy sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer 2‑3 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 100°C

9. Incorporate the noodles

   Add the cooked noodles to the broth, bring to a boil again for 2 minutes to reheat and absorb flavors.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: 100°C

10. Thicken the broth

    Dilute the potato starch in a little cold water, add to the pot and stir until the broth thickens slightly (about 2 minutes).

    Time: PT3M

11. Finishing

    Stir in the green part of the onion and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, mix quickly and serve immediately.

    Time: PT1M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

25 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

8 g

Fiber

4 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Type 55 wheat flour: All-purpose flour
• Instead of Egg yolk: Whole egg (separate the white)
• Instead of Salt: Sea salt
• Instead of Chicken stock cube: Homemade broth
• Instead of Chicken breast: Turkey breast
• Instead of Napa cabbage: Napa cabbage
• Instead of Dried shiitake: Fresh mushrooms
• Instead of Scallion (bunch): Shallot
• Instead of Garlic clove: Garlic powder
• Instead of Gochugaru (Korean chili powder): Hot paprika
• Instead of Sesame oil: Vegetable oil
• Instead of Neutral cooking oil: Sunflower oil
• Instead of Soy sauce: Tamari
• Instead of Potato starch: Cornstarch

Equipment Needed

• Bowl
• Rolling pin or pasta machine
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Large pot (for the broth)
• Sauté pan or deep skillet
• Colander
• Wooden spoon
• Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel
• Bowl for soaking shiitake

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Knead and let the dough rest properly to achieve good elasticity.
• Roll the dough very thin (≈1 mm) before cutting into strips.
• Quick cooking of fresh noodles (2 minutes) to keep them tender.
• Thicken the broth with potato starch without forming lumps.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use a very fine noodle dough for a texture close to Japanese ramen.
• For a more authentic flavor, add a few drops of Korean chili oil at the finish.
• If you don't like heat, reduce the gochugaru or replace it with ground black pepper.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the soup in an airtight container for 2‑3 days.

Freezer: Fresh noodles can be frozen separately on a tray, then transferred to a freezer bag for 1 month.

Room temperature: Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Soak the shiitake the day before or at least 2 hours before cooking.
• Prepare the noodle dough ahead of time, let it rest and freeze in portions.