Spicy Chicken Noodle Stew with Ginger & Gochujang

If you’re looking for a hearty stew to keep you warm and fill your tummy, try this spicy chicken noodle stew. It features the delicious flavors of star anise, ginger, gochujang, and Sichuan chili oil. This recipe is based on a Chinese braised chicken stew but adapted for ingredients found at the Co-op.

On the Ingredients

Star Anise is an aromatic spice comes from an evergreen tree indigenous to northeast Vietnam and southwest China. Though the flavor closely resembles anise seeds in scent and flavor, the two plants are unrelated. Star Anise is a crucial ingredient of Chai tea, Vietnamese pho soup, and five spice. It can also be used as a substitute for the more expensive Anise Seed.
Gochujang is a fermented sweet and spicy condiment from Korea. It’s made with chili, glutenous rice, soybean powder, barley malt powder, and salt. Gochujang can vary greatly in heat and even has its own heat scale called GHU (gochujang hot-taste units), ranked from 0 (mild) to 100 (Extreme hot). In flavor, gochujang is earthy and mildly sweet. It’s used in classic Korean dishes such as bibimbap and tteokbokki.
Sichuan Chili Oil from Black Slate is made with Sichuan pepper, star anise, black cardamom, and nine other Chinese spices layered with chili heat. Now, despite its name, the Sichuan pepper is neither related to black pepper nor chilis. It comes from a plant in the same family as citrus and rue, and the flavor is a little reminiscent of citrus with a bit of pine mixed in. Its other primary trait is the tingly, numbing sensation it produces in the mouth.

Recipe Notes and Ingredients

Though Chinese-style noodles like ramen (yes, those are Chinese noodles) are best, you can use any long noodle for this recipe. It could be udon, somen, or even spaghetti noodles.

Spicy Chicken Noodle Stew with Ginger & Gochujang

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hour

If you're looking for a hearty stew to keep you warm and fill your tummy, try this spicy chicken noodle stew. It features the delicious flavors of star anise, ginger, gochujang, and Sichuan chili oil. This recipe is based on a Chinese braised chicken stew but adapted for ingredients found at the Co-op.

Ingredients

Chicken marinade ingredients
4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic (grated)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Stew ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 whole star anise
4 tbsp gochujang
3 large carrots (sliced)
1 head broccoli (chopped)
2 cups chicken broth
To finish
4 servings noodles (you can use ramen, udon, somen, spaghetti, etc)
4 scallions (chopped)
Sichuan chili oil

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and coat the chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prep the other ingredients.
Add 1 tbsp of water to the gochujang to thin it out. Heat the oil in a pot and add the star anise and gochujang. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Add the chicken, turning it over in the sauce to coat both sides. Make sure to scrape all the marinade into the pan. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes, turn it over, and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the broth and carrots. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
While the stew simmers, cook your chosen noodles according to their instructions. Divide them between four bowls.
When the stew is done, divide it between the four bowls. Top with green onions and drizzle with chili oil. Serve and enjoy!