Chicken Sotanghon Soup
(so-TANG-hon)
Sabaw for the Soul (What Lola Made When We Were Sick)
This bright orange, garlicky bowl of glass noodles is the ultimate Filipino panacea, the exact thing a Lola summons at the first sign of a sniffle. The secret to making it taste exactly like home isn't found in hours of toil, but in the gisa—taking five minutes to sauté shredded rotisserie chicken in garlic, onions, and fish sauce to lock in a deep, caramelized umami. Colored brilliantly with annatto and assembled in under thirty minutes, it’s a masterclass in everyday comfort that refuses to compromise on its soul.
Before you start
Hydrate the noodles.
Place the dried sotanghon in a bowl of warm tap water for 10 to 15 minutes until pliable, then drain and cut in half with kitchen shears.
Ingredients
- mung bean thread noodles3 1/2 oz
- canola oil2 tbsp
- garlic6 clove
- yellow onion1 med
- fish sauce2 tbsp
- cooked chicken2 1/2 cup
- chicken broth6 cup
- annatto powder1 1/2 tsp
- carrot1 large
- green cabbage2 cup
- celery2 stalk
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- scallions2 med
- eggs2 large
- lemon1 med
Method
- 01
Toast the garlic.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the minced garlic, and stir until light golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove half of the crispy garlic to a paper towel for your garnish, leaving the rest and the flavored oil in the pot.
- 02
Execute the gisa.
Increase the heat to medium, add the diced onions, and sauté until soft. Stir in the celery, shredded chicken, and fish sauce, letting it sizzle for a few minutes so the fish sauce caramelizes and absorbs deeply into the meat.
- 03
Build the broth.
Pour in the chicken broth, annatto powder, and black pepper, stirring well until the powder dissolves and the liquid turns a fiery orange, then bring to a gentle boil.
- 04
Simmer the vegetables.
Reduce the heat, add the julienned carrots, and simmer for 3 minutes until they just begin to soften.
- 05
Finish with noodles and cabbage.
Push the drained, soaked glass noodles into the broth to cook for 2 minutes until perfectly clear and slippery. Stir in the shredded cabbage until barely wilted, and immediately remove from the heat so the noodles don't turn to mush.
- 06
Garnish and serve.
Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls and crown generously with the reserved toasted garlic, scallions, a halved hard-boiled egg, and a squeeze of fresh citrus.
Notes
A note on annatto.
Do not skip the annatto powder. While its flavor is mild, the iconic golden-orange hue is psychologically essential to the authentic Filipino experience of this dish.
Manage your noodles.
Mung bean noodles are aggressively thirsty. If making the soup ahead of time, store the broth and soaked noodles separately, combining them only right before serving so they don't bloat and drink all your soup.
From Cook Filipino in America.