Friday: Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Loved this the first time I made it, so...it's back again!  I added bok choy to it last time for extra veggies, going to do that again.  I may throw in some edamame as well.  You can usually find lemon grass in your produce section at the grocery store.  They look like bamboo sticks (kinda)  I didn't understand how to use the lemon grass and made the mistake of cutting it up into small pieces.  Had to pick them all out!!  They take a LONG time to cook to be edible.  Just peel the lemon grass into long pieces and then you'll remove them before serving the soup.  
Some great additions would be peas, corn, mushrooms, or water chestnuts.  Also, give it a great kick with some Siracha.  

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon bottled grated ginger
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled
• 2 cups water
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chile pepper, finely chopped

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; sauté 3 minutes. Add water and broth; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard lemongrass.

Allison Fishman, Cooking Light 

AUGUST 2004