How do you make noodle soup? Instant? Store-bought soup? In this blog post, I’ll share with you how to easily make a restaurant-like Asian noodle soup at home. Honestly, I was very surprised too!
2 Key Ingredients for Prawn Noodle Soup
Following the success of the tofu in tomato sauce recipe, this prawn noodle soup is another shout-out from the same cookbook called ‘Bowlful‘. The ingredients are fairly easy to fetch, you need 2 key ingredients though – cinnamon stick and star anise, which are also widely available in Asian grocery stores.
Believe me, once you fry the cinnamon stick and star anise in the first step, you immediately know what I’m talking about (if you’re Asian :P) . The irresistible smell is so familiar that it brings back a foreign homey flavour and memories. That said, you can’t omit cinnamon stick and star anise, and they can’t be replaced in powder form, because they need to be fried to release most of their flavour.
A Few Notes Before You Cook
- Prawns: Feel free to use any kind of prawns you like. The one I’m using is M&S Organic Madagascan raw prawns with heads, whiskers and tails on. I think it’s easier to handle and the presentation would be nice.
- Chicken Stock: You can use any chicken stock you like. Just bear in mind that store-bought stock is often salted, you’ll have to adjust the soy sauce quantity. In my case, I used Knorr chicken stock pot and blended it in boiling water.
- Seasoning: In the cookbook recipe that I referred to, it is recommended to use chilli paste such as sambal badjak or sambal oelek. But I didn’t have one on hand, so I skipped it. And actually, that ½ tsp of white pepper will offer a gentle pepper kick.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 6 large frozen prawns, thawed in advance
- 130 g pho noodles (I use 3 mm wide)
- 5 cm cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- chicken stock
- 800 ml boiling water
- Knorr chicken stock pot(salted)
- 1 carrot, batons
- 2 large mushroom, sliced
- a handful of beans sprouts
- fresh coriander for garnish
For the Seasoning
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
How to Make Easy One Pot Asian Prawn Noodle Soup
- Boil the pho noodles as per the packet’s instructions. Then separate them into 2 big bowls. I like to add some sesame oil to prevent them sticking together.
- Heat about 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the same pot, fry the cinnamon stick and star anise until fragrant. Then stir in the onions and garlic, sauté until the onions are soft and lightly golden.
- Add all the seasoning ingredients and stir well. Also, stir in the prawns, carrots and mushroom, sauté for a minute. Pour in boiling water, pop into the chicken stock pot, and bring it to the boil.
- Once the prawns turn pink and nicely curled up, remove them from the broth and place them together with the noodles. Continue to boil the broth over low heat for 5 minutes or so. Add in the bean sprouts and boil for a further 1 minute. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
More Easy Noodle Soup Recipes
- The Easiest Chinese Soup Noodles
- 20-min Easy Chicken Pho Soup (Pho Ga)
- Easy Bottoms Up Tom Kha Soup Recipe with Shrimp
- One Pot Kimchi Tomato Soup Noodles
