Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Oil
- 45 ml toasted sesame oil
- 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
- 30 g scallion, chopped, white and green parts separated
Protein & Broth
- 400 g chicken breast, thinly sliced against the grain
- 60 ml taiwanese michiu or shaoxing wine
- 1000 ml chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 2 g white pepper, finely ground
- salt
Noodles & Garnish
- 200 g thin wheat noodles
- 10 g dried goji berries, rinsed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 408 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1606 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 69 mg
- Potassium
- 351 mg
- Calcium
- 36 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 203 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.26 mg
- Niacin
- 10.7 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 332 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all ingredients: thinly slice the chicken breast, julienne the ginger, and chop the scallions, keeping the firm white sections separate from the leafy green tops.
Place a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the toasted sesame oil, julienned ginger, and scallion whites. Sauté gently until the ginger becomes fragrant and the edges begin to curl and lightly crisp, being careful not to burn it.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the sliced chicken breast to the pot. Stir-fry until the chicken is just opaque on the outside but not fully cooked through.
Pour the rice wine into the pot to deglaze. Let it simmer vigorously for one minute to cook off the harsh alcohol notes while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Pour in the chicken broth, soy sauce, and white pepper. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil (100 degrees Celsius / 212 degrees Fahrenheit). Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) and the broth is deeply flavored.
While the soup is simmering, bring a separate medium saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the thin wheat noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse briefly under warm water to remove excess starch.
Divide the cooked noodles evenly among four warm serving bowls. Taste the simmering broth and stir in salt if needed.
Ladle the hot chicken and sesame-ginger broth generously over the noodles in each bowl. Garnish with the reserved scallion greens immediately before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Frying the ginger in toasted sesame oil until the edges curl is the most critical technique in this recipe; it tempers the raw bite of the ginger and completely transforms the oil.
- Using a high-quality Taiwanese rice wine (Michiu) is highly recommended. It possesses a distinct, mild sweetness that forms the backbone of the broth's flavor profile.
- For an even silkier chicken texture, you can velvet the sliced breast meat by tossing it with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water 15 minutes before cooking.
- White pepper is essential here. Its earthy, slightly fermented heat provides a different dimension of spice than black pepper and is foundational to Taiwanese soup profiles.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store noodles and broth separately to prevent noodles from becoming mushy.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the broth and chicken only. Do not freeze the noodles.
Reheating: Reheat broth on the stove over medium heat until simmering. Boil fresh noodles or gently warm pre-cooked noodles in the hot broth.
Troubleshooting
Broth has a bitter aftertaste
Cause: The toasted sesame oil was heated at too high of a temperature, or the ginger was burnt during the initial sauté
Fix: Add a small pinch of sugar (1-2g) to the broth to help balance and mask the bitterness
Prevention: Keep the heat at medium-low during the initial aromatics stage and monitor the ginger closely
Chicken breast is dry and stringy
Cause: The soup was boiled too vigorously or simmered for too long after the chicken was added
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but ensure noodles and broth are well-portioned so each bite is moist
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer once the broth is added, and do not overcook before adding the liquid
Noodles are mushy or cloudy the broth
Cause: Noodles were cooked directly in the soup broth instead of a separate pot
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always boil noodles in a separate pot of water and rinse off excess starch before adding to the serving bowls
Cultural Context
This recipe is deeply inspired by Ma You Ji, a traditional Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup renowned for its warming, restorative properties. Often served to postpartum women or during the cold winter months to promote blood circulation, this noodle soup adaptation captures that soul-warming essence while evoking the nostalgic flavor of popular Taiwanese instant ramen packets.
