Experiment No. 060 — Fire A** Chicken Noodle Soup
Category
Mains → Soup Lab → Roasted Aromatics & Umami Engineering
Scope
A golden, fire-laced chicken noodle soup designed with dual pathways: classic chicken and vegan mushroom. Built with roasted aromatics, umami lifts, spice bloom, and optional creamy body. This is an intentional, layered soup — designed for days when you want maximum depth and comfort.
Objective
Build a soup with maximum depth and complexity by balancing roasted aromatics, blooming spices, layered umami, sweet corn body, and bright finishing acid — equally satisfying in both chicken and vegan paths.
Yield
Approximately 3.5 to 4 liters (6–8 servings)
Prep and Cook Time
Prep: 25 minutes (includes roasting)
Cook: 50–70 minutes
Total: 75–95 minutes
Formula — Weight, Volume, Ratio %
Weight = precision
Volume = accessibility
Ratio % = each ingredient’s contribution to the full 3500 g batch
Core Ingredients (Base + Split Paths)
Chicken thighs and legs, bone-in: 900 g, — , 25.7% (chicken path)
Meaty mushrooms (king oyster, portobello, shiitake): 250 g, — , 7.1% (vegan path)
Shallots, halved: 150 g, — , 4.3%
Garlic, whole cloves (roasted in skin): 40 g, — , 1.1%
Celery, diced: 80 g, — , 2.3%
Green onion whites: 40 g, — , 1.1%
Ginger, sliced: 20 g, — , 0.6%
Carrot, halved (roast): 100 g, — , 2.9%
Dried porcini, soaked: 25 g dry (100 g hydrated), — , 0.7% (required vegan, optional chicken)
Blended tomato: 60 g, 1/4 cup, 1.7%
Sweet corn: 200 g, about 1 cup, 5.7%
Soaked cashews (optional cream body): 80 g, 1/2 cup, 2.3%
Olive oil: 30 g, 2 tablespoons, 0.9%
Stock (chicken or vegetable): 1500 g, 1.5 liters, 42.9%
Bay leaves: 2 pieces (~1 g), <0.1%
Black peppercorns: 1 g, <0.1%
Coriander seeds, crushed: 1 g, <0.1%
Star anise (optional): 0.5 g, <0.1%
Miso paste: 25 g, 1 tablespoon+, 0.7%
Fish sauce: 12 g, 2 teaspoons, 0.3% (chicken path)
Soy sauce or coconut aminos: 15 g, 1 tablespoon, 0.4% (vegan path)
Nutritional yeast: 8 g, 2 teaspoons, 0.2% (vegan path)
Butter: 15 g, 1 tablespoon, 0.4% (chicken path)
Finishing oil: 15 g, 1 tablespoon, 0.4% (vegan path)
Salt: 13 g, 2 teaspoons, 0.4%
Lemon or lime juice: 30 g, 2 tablespoons, 0.9%
Wide noodles (egg, rice, oat, or buckwheat): 200 g, — , 5.7%
Jalapeño or preferred chili: 20 g, — , 0.6%
Green onion tops: 20 g, — , 0.6%
Optional garnishes: cilantro, chili crunch, fried shallots
Total batch: approximately 3500 g (100%)
Procedure
1. Roast Base
Roast chicken or mushrooms along with shallots, garlic (skin on), and carrots at 425°F (220°C) for 20–25 minutes until browned.
Squeeze roasted garlic from skins before using.
2. Build Aromatics
Heat olive oil. Sauté celery, ginger, and green onion whites.
Stir in roasted vegetables (and chicken if using).
3. Spice Bloom
Add black peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaf, and optional star anise.
Add blended tomato and cook for 2 minutes to reduce raw acidity.
4. Build the Broth
For chicken path: add roasted chicken and chicken stock.
For vegan path: add vegetable stock, soaked porcini, and porcini soaking liquid.
Simmer 35–40 minutes.
5. Cream Path (Optional)
Blend corn, cashews, and a ladle of broth until smooth.
Stir into soup during final 10 minutes for creamy body.
6. Umami Lift
For chicken path: add miso, fish sauce, and butter.
For vegan path: add miso, soy sauce/coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, and finishing oil.
Adjust salt.
7. Acid and Noodles
Add lemon or lime juice just before serving.
Follow noodle handling guidance based on noodle type (below).
8. Serve
Finish with green onion tops.
Optional garnishes: cilantro, chili crunch, fried shallots.
Noodle Handling Guidance
Wide egg noodles → sturdy, can cook directly in broth or separately.
Rice, oat, or delicate noodles → cook separately and add to bowls before serving.
Meal prep → always store noodles separately to prevent bloating and broth absorption.
Bonus Formula — Quick Homemade Noodles (Classic and Vegan)
Yield: approximately 300 g (serves 4–5)
Classic
All-purpose flour: 200 g, 1½ cups
Greek yogurt: 100 g, 1/2 cup
Egg: 50 g, 1 large
Salt: 4 g, 3/4 teaspoon
Vegan
All-purpose or bread flour: 200 g, 1½ cups
Dairy-free yogurt: 100 g, 1/2 cup
Ground flaxseed + water: 15 g + 45 g (1 tbsp + 3 tbsp)
Salt: 4 g, 3/4 teaspoon
Olive oil (optional): 10 g, 2 teaspoons
Procedure
Combine flour and salt.
Add yogurt and egg or flax mixture. Stir to form dough.
Knead 5 minutes. Rest 20 minutes.
Roll thin and cut into strips.
Cook in salted boiling water 2–3 minutes.
Field Data and Observations
Roasting builds foundational Maillard depth.
Chicken provides collagen body; vegan path uses miso + nutritional yeast + porcini synergy.
Butter and finishing oils round edges of spice and heat.
Corn + cashew blend adds optional velvety richness.
Lemon or lime at the end prevents heaviness.
Noodles shift the broth’s expression — egg noodles for comfort, rice noodles for clarity.
