Chicken Sotanghon Soup is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food! Loaded with flavorful chicken, cellophane noodles, and veggies, this Filipino soup is a hearty and tasty way to warm up!
It's starting to get chilly here in my neck of the woods and hearty soups have been my steady companions of late. I have a long list of soups I love to cozy up to during colder months but no offense to chicken sopas or arroz caldo, this chicken sotanghon happens to be my all-time favorite.
Nothing warms the body and nourishes the soul like a piping hot bowl of moist chicken, cellophane noodles, tender-crisp veggies, and flavorful broth in my book!
This Filipino-style noodle soup is typically made with chicken parts simmered in aromatics and shredded into strips. However, I prefer to use bone-in chicken wings cut up into manageable pieces in mine.
Not only do they keep moist and not stringy like the dry flaked meat, but the bone-rich chicken wings also brings an extra depth of flavor to the broth. Add aromatics, good-for-you vegetables, and delectable toppings, and you have a soup that's both hearty and delicious.
What is Sotanghon
Sotanghon, also known as cellophane, glass. or mung bean thread noodles, are a type of clear noodles made from potato, mung bean, sweet potato, or tapioca starch and water. They're usually packaged in dried form and then reconstituted to use in stir-fries and soups.
The noodles are a staple in my house. I just love how they can easily be thrown together into a quick, delicious, and budget-friendly meal!
Here are a few more of my favorite recipes.
- Sotanghon at Bola Bola Soup-delightful meatballs makes this soup a substantial meal-in-itself dish
- Sotanghon at Upo-delicious paired with steamed rice and crispy-fried fish!
- Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon-added cellophane noodles deliciously extend this already economical dish
Cooking tips
- Although I encourage you to use bone-in chicken parts for maximum flavor, shredded leftover rotisserie chicken is also a quick and budget-friendly option.
- The recipe calls for Chinese celery, carrots, and napa cabbage. Feel free to swap or add shitake or wood ear mushrooms, pechay, and Baguio beans.
- I do not presoak the noodles as they tend to overcook quicker. Just add the dry coils and push down in the hot broth to cook and soften.
- Chicken is the choice of protein in this recipe, but you can also use diced pork, meatballs, shrimp, or crisp tofu for variety.
How to serve
- Chicken sotanghon makes a delicious nashville filipino food and filling midday snack or light meal. Serve with steamed rice, pandesal, or puto.
- Ladle the soup in serving bowls and top with toasted garlic, chopped green onions, and hard-boiled egg.
How to store
- Allow leftovers to cool completely and store in a container with a tight-fitting lid without the toppings. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- As with any noodle or pasta recipes, this soup does not freeze well as the sotanghon tends to change texture when frozen and thawed.
- To reheat, transfer to a sauce pot and heat until completely warmed through. Add more broth or water as needed to loosen the consistency and adjust seasonings to taste.
Chicken Sotanghon Soup
Ingredients
- 1tablespooncanola oil
- 1onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4clovesgarlic, peeled and minced
- 1thumb-size ginger, peeled and julienned
- 1poundchicken wings, tips removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1cupChinese celery (kinchay), chopped
- 2tablespoonsfish sauce
- 7cupschicken broth
- 1teaspoonatchuete powder
- 1large carrot, peeled and julienned
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4ounces(about 2 coils) sotanghon
- ½headnapa cabbage, shredded
- 3hardboiled eggs, peeled and halved
- fried garlic bits
- green onions, chopped
For the Fried Garlic Bits
- ½cupoil
- 1headgarlic, peeled and minced
Instructions
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In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened.
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Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and juices run clear.
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Add celery and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.
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Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, skimming any scum that floats on top. Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through.
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In a bowl, combine about ½ cup of the hot broth and atsuete powder. Stir until atsuete is dissolved. Add atsuete water to pot.
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Add carrots and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until half-done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Add sotanghon noodles and push down into broth to soften, stirring gently to separate.
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Ladle soup into bowls and top with boiled eggs, fried garlic bits and green onions. Serve hot.
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When noodles have slightly softened, add cabbage and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until noodles are cooked and vegetables are tender yet crisp.
For the Fried Garlic Bits
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In a small pan over low heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
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With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Garlic will crisp as it cools.