I know it's a long name for a dish, but if you take a moment to think about the combination of flavors, you'll understand why it's worth it. This lemongrass ginger chicken soup with turmeric rice noodles is a well-known dish in northern Malaysia, my home country. Locally, it's called "Bihun sup utara." Trust me, it's not just any chicken noodle soup. The addition of herbs and spices makes it extra special, and it's perfect for cold weather. Once you try it, you'll want to have it every day.
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavor—This light chicken rice noodle soup is infused with spices and herbs like cinnamon, coriander, lemongrass, and cilantro, which is amazingly blended. The condiments complete the whole dish. It's a refreshing, hot bowl of goodness.
Size—Enough for 4.
Level—Easy, but I recommend prepping before starting to cook. It makes it even easier.
Occasion—Anytime of the year, that's how we have it in Malaysia. It is even better when it's cold outside, cloudy, and raining.. this is like a cozy, warm blanket hugging your soul.
Lets Talk Ingredients
Rice vermicelli noodles—These are not the same as pad Thai rice noodles. They are cylinders and very thin. Of course, you can use any other rice noodles. I don't recommend egg noodles, as they're thicker and have a stronger taste.
Chicken stock—Use the best you can find. It's up to you. You can use store-bought chicken stock (I did in this recipe), or if not, I have a recipe for you to make homemade chicken stock.
SUBSTITUTE: Use the same amount of water and 2 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder.
Chicken—I'm all about chicken thighs because they are more flavourful and don't get dry quickly. You can also use chicken breast, of course.
Gauze—To make spice pouches and contain them so we don't need to look for them one by one and throw them before serving our soup.
SUBSTITUTE: Cheese cloth or tea bag.
Soy sauce—I always use less-sodium soy sauce, as it gives more flavor without the extra saltiness. Use half the amount if you're using standard soy sauce.
What Makes This Soup Special?
The combination of flavors from the spices and herbs that are lightly infused into the soup makes this soup different from the other soups. Although mild, they bring chicken soup to another level.
Don't be scared by the spices; your soup won't taste like a curry, I promise.
And let's not forget how unique and beautiful the yellow rice noodles look! They're naturally colored with turmeric and super easy to make!
The Important Garnish
The garnish is another vital part of this dish, just like my fantastic quick Penang asam laksa recipe. Try not to skip them, as every flavor and texture matters. When you mix all the condiments in a bowl with your soup and noodles, magic happens.
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Lemongrass ginger chicken soup with turmeric rice noodles
Ingredients
Spices Pouch
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
Cilantro Bouquet
- ½ handful cilantro leaves with stems (10 g)
Turmeric Rice Noodles
- 5 oz dry rice vermicelli noodles (140 g)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder , add more if you want the noodles more yellow
The Soup
- 1 small red onion , thinly sliced
- 1 lemongrass , bruised
- 2 garlic cloves , chopped
- 1 inch ginger , chopped
- 4 cup chicken stock (1 liter)
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thigh , sliced into thin strips
- 3 tablespoon less salt soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- cracks of black pepper
Condiments
- some spring onion , chopped
- some crispy fried onion
- wedges of lime
- cilantro leaves
- sambal or sriracha
- sesame oil
Instructions
Spices Pouch
- Fold a gauze into a small square and put all the seeds on the center. Mash the rest of spices into small pieces and pour on top with the rest of the seeds.
- Bring all ends to the center, making a pouch and tie it tightly with a kitchen string. Set aside.
Cilantro Bouquet
- Fold cilantro leaves stems and all, into 2, and tie them tightly in the middle with a kitchen string. Set aside.
Turmeric Rice Noodles
- Soak the noodles in water for a few minutes until they're pliable, not more. Meanwhile prepare a pot with hot water and mix in the turmeric. Place the noodles in and gently stir.
- Don't overcook them because then they'll be too soft when we serve them with our hot soup later. Just undercook them a bit. Rinse under cold water, drain well and place on a plate. Set aside.
The Soup
- Heat some oil in a pot and sautee onion and lemongrass for a few minutes. Add in ginger and garlic, continue cooking until they're golden brown.
- Now add the rest of the ingredients together with the spices pouch and cilantro bouquet, stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. For a clearer soup, skim off the foam on the surface.
Plating
- Place some noodles in a bowl. Pour in the soup together with some chicken pieces. Add in the condiments. Mix everything before having your first spoon of goodness. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Katie says
Do you cook chicken separately?
Bea & Marco says
Hi Katie! No, I don't cook the chicken separately. I cook them together in the broth. Hope it helps!
Paul says
Thanks for introducing more unique Asian recipes with your readers.
This chicken soup is very different from the one that I know but I loved it. We all enjoyed it.
PS: I used tea bag instead.
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! Yes, it's a different style of chicken soup, we both really love it. Thanks for your comment and sharing the tea bag tips with us!
CCM says
Thanks for a delicious recipe - I never tried long rice soup with turmeric before. It made it a more colorful, even more healing and healthy soup.
Bea & Marco says
Yes, turmeric is good for inflamation when combined with black pepper. We're happy that you gave the recipe a try, thank you for leaving your comment!