Korean Chicken Noodle Soup (Dak Kalguksu)
Juicy chicken, a rich and nourishing broth, chewy noodles paired with crunchy veggies - this Korean chicken noodle soup has everything. And only takes 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 6.5 cups chicken broth enough to mostly submerge the chicken legs
- 4 chicken legs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 carrot cut into matchsticks
- ½ courgette cut into matchsticks
- 450 grams kalguksu
- 400 grams mung bean sprouts
- 1 cup shredded cabbage optional
- ½ tbsp guk ganjang
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- Pour the chicken stock into a large pot. Add the chicken legs and bay leaves and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer and cook for 25 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. While that's doing its thing, you can prep the rest of the ingredients.
Cut the veggies
- Peel and cut the carrots and zucchini into matchsticks. Set aside.
- If you want to garnish with green onions, slice them into thin slices and set aside.
Sauté the bean sprouts
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of sesame oil. Add the bean sprouts and a pinch of salt and turn heat to high. Stir fry on a hot wok for 2 minutes.
Cook the noodles
- Boil water in a large pot and add the kalguksu noodles. When they are al dente, drain them immediately and rinse under cold water. Let drain and set aside.Note: Cook the noodles for a couple minutes less than what's recommended in the package. When they're al dente, they're good to go.
Season the broth
- When the chicken has cooked long enough for it to be safe to taste test the broth, add about 1/2 to 3/4 tablespoons of guk ganjang, a 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1.5 tablespoons of minced garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.Toss in the carrots and courgette and let it all cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve
- Place the noodles in a big bowl. Add the chicken. Then the bean sprouts. And then the broth and veggies.Garnish with scallions and peppers, if you wish. Serve with as many seasonings and sauces as you’d like - salt and pepper, Sriracha sauce, another hot sauce, etc.
Notes
Go with unseasoned chicken broth. The star in this Korean chicken noodle soup recipe is the flavorful chicken stock. Choose a chicken broth that hasn't had a lot of seasonings and herbs added to it so the chicken flavor can shine through.
Don't have guk ganjang? That's okay. Substitute with soy sauce (but just use half - so about 1/4 tablespoon) and salt.
Why not cook the noodles in the broth? You can if you want a milkier, thicker broth. Just keep in mind that these noodles can bloat quickly. Which is why I prefer to cook separately, do a cold water rinse to maintain a firm, chewy texture and then pour the hot broth on top.
Noodles are best al dente. Because the kalguksu noodles will be sitting in the bowl with hot broth, we don't want to overcook them. The package recommendations are typically too long - cook them a couple minutes less. Al dente is best.
What to do with leftovers? You can store everything in the fridge - in airtight containers, of course - for up to 3 to 4 days. Then it's just a matter of reheating it up in the microwave or stove top. Just make sure to store the broth separately from everything else.
Rather than mixing it all together and heating it up, I recommend heating up the broth to boiling point and then adding in the rest - kalguksu noodles, chicken, veggies - into the hot broth.
You can also stir fry the kalguksu noodles. See the post for the full recipe.