A Jammin Life

Chicken kalguksu is like the Korean version of chicken noodle soup – it’s got similar hearty components and heals your soul after a long day. But if I had to point out a difference, it would be that American chicken noodle soup has celery and other herbs that make it very fragrant. The Korean one is very straightforward and has more of a subtle taste. It is so clean and simple, it’s a good introductory Korean food you can try!

Kalguksu is a very specific type of chewy, long noodles that you can find in a Korean grocery store. If you can’t get your hands on it, I suggest using udon noodles! I’ve made it with all kinds of noodles I had on hand, and it always turned out well (: Just…. try avoiding pasta because that’s too foreign for such a Korean dish.

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• Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound (600-700 grams) boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 servings kalguksu noodles
  • a handful of garlic, minced
  • a handful of mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 carrot, julienned
  • 1/2 zucchini, julienned
  • 1/8 green cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons concentrated chicken stock (optional)
  • salt and pepper

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• Recipe:
  • boil the chicken thighs in 2 liters of water for 10 minutes
  • skim the bubbles and oil that come up on top
  • add all the vegetables and boil for another 15 minutes
  • add the soy sauce and concentrated chicken stock (if you have it)
  • season well with salt and pepper to your liking
  • fish out the chicken thighs and slice them
  • in another pot, boil the noodles for 5 minutes – the noodles have A LOT of excess flour, so you want to boil the starch out separately
  • rinse the noodles with cold water and drain
  • put the noodles in a bowl and ladle in the hot broth and vegetables
  • place the sliced chicken on top and top with some black pepper
  • and serve! the experience is even better with kimchi and dumplings (:

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