Easy Scallion Noodle Soup with Crispy Chicken Thigh

This Easy Scallion Noodle Soup with Crispy Chicken Thigh is a weeknight-friendly, flavor-packed Taiwanese comfort dish in a bowl. Topped with crispy pan-fried chicken thigh, this noodle soup is infused with rich Golden Shallot Oil and umami-packed Four Season Scallion sauce. It’s a quick yet satisfying meal under 30 minutes that you’ll want to make on repeat.

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Scallion Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Thigh

We’re pairing our noodle soup today with this crispy pan fried chicken thigh. Since our noodle soup base will be so complex in flavor, this chicken is simple. All you need for the marinade is salt, pepper, and five spice powder. Then, pan fried until cooked. Make sure to pat it dry before cooking. The drier the skin, the crispier it’ll be!

Save some of the chicken oil from the pan to add to the noodle soup. It’ll add just the right amount fragrant chicken flavor.

Noodles for Your Noodle Soup

For a good bowl of noodle soup, the noodles should be bouncy, not soggy after sitting in hot broth. Because this is supposed to be a speedy meal, I also prefer to use noodles that cook under 5 minutes.

This recipe is a great option for kai dong’s QQ noodles, which are thin, but still super springy and chewy after cooking. I also like to use frozen or dried udon, wheat noodles, or yellow egg noodles. If you’re gluten-free, you can use rice noodles instead.

Easy Scallion Oil Soup Base

This is my trick for a super fragrant soup base using only pantry ingredients. This simple scallion noodle soup uses Golden Shallot Oil, Four Season Scallion Sauce, dashi powder, and a spoonful of rendered chicken oil to get a rich aroma of shallot, scallions, and chicken that hits you whenever you take a sip of soup. Then, add a little white pepper for a little gentle heat. If you don’t have these sauces, you can use your favorite scallion chili sauce.

Then, I add some of the hot noodle water from boiling the noodles, just like when you’re making pasta. Although there’s only a small amount, the starch in the noodle helps the oils and water in your sauces combine better.

Vegetables for Noodle Soup

The best vegetables you can add to your noodle soups are leafy greens and mushrooms. These vegetables are great because they can cook in 5 minutes, and can sit in hot soup for a long time without affecting the flavor of the broth. Today I used bok choy, which is slightly sweet and crunchy when cooked. Other vegetables I enjoy using are bean sprouts, spinach, napa cabbage, and water spinach.

How To Make Crispy Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Pat the chicken thigh dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and five spice powder.
2. Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and pan-fry for 6–7 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook the other side for another 4–5 minutes or until fully cooked.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook your noodles according to package instructions.
4. During the last 1–2 minutes of cooking, add bok choy to blanch it quickly. Remove both with a strainer and reserve 2 cups of the hot noodle water.
5. In a serving bowl, add the golden shallot oil, scallion sauce, white pepper, green onion, cilantro and powder stock.
6. Pour the reserved hot noodle water into the bowl and stir to combine.
7. Add the cooked noodles and bok choy to the soup base.
8. Slice the crispy chicken thigh and place it on top.
9. Drizzle with the reserved chicken oil and garnish with more green onion and cilantro.

Enjoy Your Noodle Soup with These Cold Dishes – Just Like in Taiwan!