Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Balls
- 500 g ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 15 g cornstarch
- 15 g ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 2 garlic, finely grated
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 1 g ground black pepper
- 2 scallions, trimmed
Broth and Vegetables
- 1500 ml reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 500 ml water
- 30 g ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins
- 3 garlic, smashed
- 200 g thin dried enriched wheat noodles
- 300 g baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and rinsed well
- 120 g carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 20 g dried shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced caps, tough stems removed
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil
- 15 g fresh cilantro, leaves picked, for garnish
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 518 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 56 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1779 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 154 mg
- Potassium
- 1617 mg
- Calcium
- 167 mg
- Iron
- 5.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 102 mg
- Phosphorus
- 501 mg
- Zinc
- 3.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 437 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 39 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 64 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.69 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.79 mg
- Niacin
- 15.0 mg
- Folate
- 206 mcg
- Water
- 720 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database, Manufacturer nutrition label
Method
Wash hands and all produce. Peel and grate 15g ginger and 2 garlic cloves for the chicken balls; slice the remaining 30g ginger into coins and smash the remaining 3 garlic cloves. Cut the carrot into matchsticks and halve the bok choy. Finely chop the scallion whites (about 20g) and thinly slice the green tops (about 10g), reserving the greens for garnish. The dried shiitake need no preparation; they go into the pot as-is. Keep the raw chicken and its utensils on a separate cutting board from the vegetables to avoid cross-contamination.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, beaten egg, cornstarch, grated ginger, grated garlic, 15ml soy sauce, 5ml sesame oil, ground black pepper and the chopped scallion whites. Mix with your hand or a spatula in one direction for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and slightly pasty; this gives the balls a springy, tender bite.
With lightly dampened hands, roll the mixture into balls about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) across, roughly 32g each; you should get about 20 balls. Place them on a clean plate. Wash hands and any surfaces that touched raw chicken.
Pour the chicken broth and water into a large pot and add the ginger coins, smashed garlic and the dried shiitake slices. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 minutes to infuse the broth. The dried mushrooms soften through this entire simmer and release all their liquor into the broth.
Gently lower the chicken balls into the simmering broth one at a time so they do not splash. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the balls float, feel firm, and reach a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) at the center of the largest ball, verified with an instant-read thermometer.
Add the dried noodles and carrot matchsticks to the pot and cook at a gentle simmer for 4 minutes, stirring once to separate the noodles. This is the first part of the noodles' 7-minute package cooking time.
Add the bok choy and simmer for 3 minutes more, completing the noodles' 7-minute cooking time, until the noodles are fully tender and the bok choy stems are crisp-tender with wilted leaves. The shiitake, which have simmered since the infusion step, should now be fully soft and flavorful.
Stir in the 30ml soy sauce and 10ml sesame oil, then taste the broth and adjust with more soy sauce or a pinch of ground black pepper as needed. Leave the ginger coins and smashed garlic cloves in the broth; they are served with the soup.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls, dividing the chicken balls, noodles, shiitake, vegetables, ginger coins and garlic evenly among the four portions. Scatter the reserved scallion greens and cilantro leaves over the top and serve immediately while steaming hot.
Chef's Notes
- Mixing the chicken mixture in one direction aligns the proteins and gives the balls their signature springy, bouncy texture found in many Asian meatball soups.
- A gentle simmer is essential: a hard boil toughens the chicken balls and clouds the broth.
- Ginger added two ways, grated into the meat and sliced into the broth, builds layered fragrance without any single note dominating. The coins and garlic stay in the soup and are served with it.
- Dried shiitake go in at the infusion step so they soften fully through the simmer and every drop of their savory liquor enriches the broth.
- Choose thin egg-free enriched wheat noodles labeled with a 7-minute cooking time so the timing in steps 6 and 7 matches the package directions.
- Toast the sesame oil's aroma by adding it off the boil at the very end; prolonged simmering dulls its fragrance.
- For clearer broth, skim any foam that rises while the chicken balls poach.
- Nutrition is estimated from the listed quantities, assuming all broth, added drinking water, seasonings and garnishes are served. Evaporation and optional extra seasoning are not included.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store noodles separately from the broth if possible, as they soften and absorb liquid over time.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze broth and chicken balls only; cooked noodles and bok choy do not freeze well. Cook fresh noodles and vegetables when serving.
Reheating: Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until the soup simmers and the chicken balls reach 74°C (165°F) throughout. Add a splash of water or broth if the soup has concentrated.
Troubleshooting
Chicken balls are pink or undercooked in the center
Cause: Broth was boiling too hard so the outside set quickly while the center lagged, or balls were rolled too large
Fix: Return the balls to the simmering broth and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, then recheck the internal temperature
Prevention: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, roll balls no larger than 4 cm (about 32g each), and always verify 74°C (165°F) with a thermometer in the center of the largest ball
Chicken balls fall apart in the broth
Cause: Mixture was not mixed long enough to become sticky, or the broth was at a rolling boil
Fix: Scoop out the broken pieces and serve as a rustic minced-chicken soup; flavor is unaffected
Prevention: Mix until tacky and pasty, and lower the balls into gently simmering, not violently boiling, liquid
Broth tastes flat or bland
Cause: Under-seasoned broth or too much water diluting the flavor
Fix: Add soy sauce a few milliliters at a time plus a small splash of sesame oil until the flavor blooms
Prevention: Use a good-quality reduced-sodium ready-to-serve broth and taste before serving
Noodles are mushy and bloated
Cause: Noodles simmered longer than their 7-minute package time or the soup sat before serving
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked; next time, cook noodles separately and add to each bowl
Prevention: Use a 7-minute noodle, add noodles only after the chicken balls are nearly done, and serve immediately
Cultural Context
Light broths with hand-formed meat balls and noodles are beloved across East and Southeast Asia, from Chinese pork ball noodle soups to Vietnamese and Thai street-stall bowls. Poaching seasoned ground meat directly in an aromatic broth is a home-cooking technique prized for producing tender results with minimal fat. This version leans on ginger, sesame and black pepper, a classic fragrant trio in Chinese-style soup cookery.
