Lemongrass Chicken Soup (can be made veg)

I recently made larb and used some sliced lemongrass in jar (Whole Foods), so I looked up recipes to try and finish off the jar. I based this recipe off the one I found here: http://ift.tt/2bH4bRk and I modified it a bit, so I thought I would post the recipe here!

As with larb, this recipe looked like it might be bland to me, a confused Westerner, but it was bursting with flavor and totally delicious.

Lemongrass Noodle Soup with Chicken and Cucumber

Soup

• 48 oz pack of chicken broth and 20ish oz of mushroom broth (I spilled a lot of it while draining it and it tasted fine, so w/e)

• 3 tbsp chopped lemongrass

• 1½ inches of ginger sliced or shredded

• 1 onion

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 2-3ish tbsp soy sauce (3 chinese restaurant packets)

• 1 cup coconut milk (I used lite)

• 1 lime grated zest

• Juice of half a lime

• 1 packet of pizza delivery crushed red pepper

• 1 chicken breast thawed and sliced thinly (leave it out if you want veg only)

• 2 4oz cans of mini mushrooms, whole or sliced, drain one - I used a brand called polar, I don't know if these are easy to find

To serve

• 2 oz dry weight glass noodles - I used packs of 1.3oz plain dry rice vermicelli

• 1 cucumber sliced and julienned

In a saucepan, pour the chicken stock and add to it the following - the lemongrass, ginger, sliced onion, sugar, soy-sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil on medium heat and then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 40 min to 1 hour. Add the lime juice and lime zest during the long simmer.

** Note. So when I cook soup I make the broth first, portion it out into tupperware for lunches, and then in the morning before work I boil some noodles from a one-shot packet and throw them in. The original recipe has a fancy way to deal with noodles, but that's just what I do.

When the soup has simmered for at least 40 minutes, strain the soup to remove the onion, ginger, lemon grass. You can leave a little in the bottom of the pot. Discard most of it and then pour the broth back in the pot.

Bring the soup back to a simmer, and add salt to taste (I didn't need any, but I used cheapo soy sauce). Once the soup is simmering, add the thinly sliced chicken, mushrooms and red pepper packet. Let the chicken cook in the simmering soup (which should take about 10 minutes). Divide the soaked noodles between two bowls and add the julienned cucumber. Ladle the soup over the noodles and cucumber and serve immediately.

I ate a small bowl of it without the cucumber and it was good, even the chicken is optional because the broth is so delicious. I think a spinach-type green might go well with it at the end, or on the side--maybe some water-spinach or thai basil they use in pho? If you have any suggestions let me know!

bon appetit