This chicken soba noodle soup is a recipe you can start the night before and have a quick, easy work-from-home lunch the next day.
I’ve been working from home well before the COVD-19 pandemic. While I’m normally not a lunch person, one of my favorite things to prep the night before is chicken soup. Sometimes, I’ll just throw some chicken thighs in water with an onion and cook it down before bed. Toss it in the fridge to chill overnight. The next day, I’ll quickly remove the meat from the bones and reheat the reduced stock with the chicken. While it’s not your average ultra clarified, glimmering stock, the warmth and comfort is still there.
How to Make this Chicken Soba Lunch:
I did the same thing last night. First, I boiled up 6 thighs, and we naturally picked at them as they finished cooking…as one does!. Today, we had 4-5 thighs worth of meat and a super gelatinous, jiggly stock for my chicken soba noodle soup. I quickly picked the meat from the bones and tossed the stock in a small pot and brought it to a boil.
This time, I added a few star anise pods, sesame oil, chili oil, a touch of brown sugar, and a touch of soy sauce. After the flavors melded for about 10-15 minutes, I brought everything to a boil and added soba noodles. It was truly a perfect chicken soba lunch for two!
Normally, I recommend cooking the soba separately from the broth. Since this was a work-from-home lunch for two, I decided to cook it right in the broth since we were serving and eating immediately. If you intend to have leftovers or want to make this in batches, cook the soba separately. Store the broth and soba separately in the refrigerator.
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Chicken Soba Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Sieve, optional
- Medium pot
Ingredients
Stock:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered*
- Water
- Salt and pepper
Soba Noodle Soup:
- 3 star anise pods
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili oil
- ¼ teaspoon brown sugar
- 8 ounces dry soba noodles
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Stock:
- Add the chicken thighs and onions to a large pot and cover water by 1 inch. If desired, you can brown the thighs and onion in a bit of oil first. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours until very reduced and the chicken is nearly falling off the bone. Bring to a low boil for 30 minutes more to allow the stock to further reduce and turn a deep golden brown.
- Depending on the size of your pot and how much water there was, the time may vary. You want the liquid to reduce by about just shy of half, so you should have about 4 cups of rich liquid leftover.
- Allow the stock to cool for about 40 minutes. If desired, remove the chicken from the broth and strain it through a sieve and discard the onions. Combine the stock and chicken in a bowl or air-tight storage container. Transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare the Soba Soup:
- The next day, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Set a medium pot on the stove over no heat. If there's excessive fat on top of the stock, skim it off and discard it but don't remove any of the gelatinous stock below!
- Pick the chicken meat from the bones and add it to the pot. Discard the bones and pour the stock over the chicken.
Cook the Soba Soup:
- Turn the heat on the pot to medium high. Once boiling, add the star anise pods, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and brown sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste the soup and season to your preferences. If you need more liquid, add a splash of water. Bring the broth back to a boil and add the soba noodles and cook until tender, 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat.
To Serve:
- Serve the soup as soon as the noodles are al dente. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with more chili oil. Garnish with dry chives or scallions, fresh scallions, or a sprinkle of sesame seeds. For additional heat, garnish with a drizzle of chili oil. Enjoy!
