Chicken Sotanghon Soup
Chicken Sotanghon Soup
Contents
Chicken Sotanghon Soup is a classic Filipino noodle soup made with shredded chicken, mung bean thread noodles (sotanghon), vegetables, and aromatic ginger-garlic broth. Perfect for rainy days or as a comforting family meal.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1.1 lbs) chicken breast or thighs, bone-in
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) sotanghon (mung bean noodles)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, julienned
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp annatto seeds or 1 tsp annatto powder (for color)
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or salt to taste)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 6 cups water
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Chopped scallions and fried garlic for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken broth: Boil chicken with bay leaf in 6 cups water for 25 minutes. Remove chicken, reserve broth, and shred meat. Discard bones/skin.
- Make annatto water: Steep annatto seeds in ¼ cup warm water for 5 minutes, then strain. Skip if using powder.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a pot. Brown garlic, then sauté onion, ginger, and celery until soft.
- Build the soup: Add shredded chicken, carrot, and annatto water (or powder). Pour in reserved broth and bouillon cube. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add noodles and cabbage: Stir in soaked sotanghon and cabbage. Cook for 3–5 minutes until noodles are tender.
- Season: Adjust with fish sauce and pepper. Garnish with scallions and fried garlic before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Noodle prep: Soak sotanghon in water for 10 minutes to soften before adding to soup.
- Chicken variations: Thighs add more flavor, but breasts cook faster. Rotisserie chicken saves time.
- Storage: Freeze broth/base without noodles; add fresh sotanghon when reheating to avoid mushiness.
FAQ
Can I omit annatto?
Yes, but the soup will lack its signature orange hue.
What’s a substitute for sotanghon?
Rice vermicelli (bihon) works, but texture differs.
How is this different from Filipino sopas?
Sotanghon uses clear broth and glass noodles; sopas has creamy milk-based broth with macaroni.
Related guides
- Arroz Caldo
- Filipino-Style Buttered Chicken
- The Complete Guide to Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Chicken Afritada: A Complete Guide to the Classic Filipino Tomato Stew
- Filipino Chicken Curry: A Creamy, Mild Coconut-Based Stew