Cooking Techniques in Noodle Soup

Cooking noodles is as easy as it gets. You can cook it while sitting watching TV and/or doing other things. I prefer to cook noodles the natural way than buying it because it is healthier that way. Gone are the days when I was rushing during my college days and I just pour hot boiling water into a cup with noodles and bingo, I can eat instant noodles. Noddles soups are best when they are prepared according to your own taste and preferences. This is good so that you know exactly the amount of additives, herbs and spices you will add to suit your taste. Everybody can try cooking noodle soup and you will love eating it, I am sure of it.

In this hub, I will share some techniques in cooking noodle soups that suit your taste. Taste depends on the flavor you want in your noodles. There are hundreds of variations in noodle soups depending in ones taste and preferences. In fact it is culture specific, but you can derive your own taste out of it.

I wrote a hub about noddle soups here -- The best noodle soups in the world, check it out.

Noodle soups are a Southeastern menu and is the staple food of some in the region aside from rice. It is a combination of :

• noodles
• broth
• plus ingredients -- can be seafoods, meat of chicken and beef preferably
• plus the noodles -- hundreds of varieties made from buckwheat, rice and egg noddles
• Herbs and spices plus seasonings are added according to ones taste

It is served hot and cooked to boil

Plus you can put chili on it

1. Decide which meat you will use as main ingredients -- chicken or beef to add as meat ingredients. You can also choose seafoods, shrimp or crabmeat
2. Decide which herbs and spices to choose from -- some prefer sprouts, basil, coriander, onions, garlic and cilantro
3. Decide which seasonings to put in the noodle soups -- little salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, salt etc.
4. You can use cooking oil -- canola oil or olive oil if you want to put some oil -- little amount only

Utensils to Use when Cooking Noodles : large pot with cover and a ladle spoon

The Step : First fry oil with garlic, pepper and onion then put the vegetables like carrots, then put the stock of chicken, then let it boil, after five minutes, put the sliced chicken. Add the noodles, and then put off the stove. Get the soup in the bowl, then you can put the sprout, coriander and basil, serve it hot. (Put the sprout, basil, coriander and lime after you put the hot stock in the bowl).

Condiments : You can choose to put sriracha sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce or soy sauce depending on your preferred taste

Some ingredients should be chopped thinly like to achieve the flavor

• garlic cloves, chopped
• red bell pepper (removed the seed) -- to give some aroma
• salt and grounded pepper
• carrots, thinly sliced

There are lots of variety of noodles to choose from

• rice noodles, egg noodles, wonton or vermicelli, soba, ramen and pho noodles
• Kinds of noodles to use is dependent on your taste and what size you prefer, long or thickness

Making Broth-- you can make your own broth by boiling the water and then putting your cut meat on it. One the water reached the boiling point, you can now reduce the heat to medium slightly covered. Usually chicken are preferred than seafoods or beef. Make the cut of the meat bigger, then after it is nearly done, put it aside, cut it into smaller pieces

_______________

Herbs and vegetables should be fresh -- lemon ,limes, coriander, basil, cilantro and other vegetables you want to put

You can also choose what vegetables to add depending on your preferences

• Put the herbs and spices plus the seasonings depending on your taste
• Seasonings should be mild as some seasonings and condiments like fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha are concentrated so it needs little amount only
• Some condiments like soy sauce is rich in sodium, so place small amount only
• Put the water to boiling temperature and avoid overcooking the noodles, they stick together and not firm anymore
• Choose the best noodles for your soup according to your preference, Noodles are made of rice, vermicelli, or buckwheat noodles
• Put the herbs after it is cooked like the cilantro, basil and the lime after it is cooked and ready to be served.
• Season it with your preferred seasonings
• Add chili hot sauce according to your taste. Add little by little only.

• Noodles which contain herbs and vegetables are nutritious
• The amount of seasonings and condiments like soy sauce, salt, fish sauce should be minimal in order for it to be nutritious
• Noodles are rich in carbohydrates and they are energy giving foods. Buckwheat noodles are nutritious including rice noodles
• Beef and chicken when mixed with noodle soup as ingredients are good source of protein
• Seafoods when used as ingredients for noddle soups are good source of omega 3 fatty acid and calcium plus minerals
• The effect of chicken noodle soup and hot soups for sick people is yet to be ascertained as there is a debate going on whether it can cure simple illness like colds or flu. Others say it is because of placebo effect.