Looking for the ultimate ginger garlic chicken noodle soup recipe? Deb Perelman’s comforting twist on classic chicken noodle soup combines tender chicken thighs, fresh ginger, garlic and ramen noodles in a deeply savoury broth inspired by the flavours of New York City’s Chinatown. The secret ingredient is black vinegar, which adds rich umami flavour and remarkable depth, making this an easy weeknight dinner you’ll want to make again and again.

“[The soup] works on a night that we’re thinking about getting Chinese food delivered, and we want something that’s a little more homemade.” Deb says. “It’s really just a very simple weeknight way to make chicken noodle soup, and I love that it has a little bit of those wonton soup flavours in it.”

According to Deb, there’s no shame in cutting the chicken with a knife when you’re prepping your ingredients if fork-shredding isn’t your thing. What’s key to the success of this soup isn’t the shredded chicken, but the malty flavour of black vinegar (also referred to as black rice vinegar and Chinkiang vinegar), which infuses the soup with an umami taste and striking colour. Adding spicy Chili Crisp before serving (try our Garlicky Chili Crisp) provides the heat.

From her son to a former assistant, everyone in Deb’s life falls in love with her inspired take on this non-traditional chicken noodle soup featured in her third cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. The New York Times best-selling cookbook is a collection of Deb’s “keeper” recipes: the go-to formulas she’s perfected for the recipes she makes most. “I hope it has that kind of effect for other people, where you’ve made it once and you’re like, ‘okay, we’re going to make this one again and again,'” she says.

Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup

Deb Perelman

Deb Perelman's Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup combines chicken thighs, fresh ginger, garlic and ramen noodles in an umami-rich broth finished with black vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Inspired by New York City's Chinatown, it's an easy homemade chicken soup that's perfect for weeknight dinners.

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Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
3-inch piece ginger peeled, finely chopped
1 bundle (6-8 oz.) scallions thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
4 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground white or black pepper
10 cups water
8 oz dried curly (in a brick) or other dried ramen-style noodles
1 cup sliced carrot cut into thin matchsticks (about ½ full- sized carrot)

To Finish

¼ cup black rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
crispy chili oil to taste

Instructions

Bring the chicken, garlic, ginger, scallion whites (reserve greens), salt, pepper and water to a boil in a 4-to-5-quart pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is very tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
While the soup simmers, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl, and add as much or as little chili crisp as your heart desires.
Remove the chicken with tongs, and transfer it to a cutting board. Add the noodles and carrot to the broth, following the cooking-time estimation your noodles’ package directions. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once the noodles are done, return the chicken to the pot, and rewarm for 1 minute. Taste, adjusting seasoning if needed.
Divide the soup between bowls. Add a handful of scallion greens and drizzle each bowl with 1 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture, adding more to taste.

Keyword black vinegar, chicken noodle soup, chicken soup, Chinese noodle soup, Ginger Garlic Soup, ramen

Excerpted from Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files. Copyright © 2022 by Deb Perelman. Photography copyright © 2022 by Deb Perelman. Book Design by Cassandra J. Pappas. Jacket Photography by Deb Perelman. Food Styling by Barret Washburne. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.