Creamy Chilli Chicken Udon Soup

Tender chicken, thick udon noodles and bok choy sit in a creamy chicken bone broth flavoured with garlic, ginger, sesame and chilli. Rich but not heavy, it is a warming, restorative bowl for the days you want something gentle and comforting with a little heat.

Creamy chilli chicken udon soup with thick noodles and bok choy.

When you are run down and nothing much appeals, a deep bowl of hot broth is usually the thing that helps. This one leans on creamy chicken bone broth, thick udon and just enough chilli crisp to leave streaks of warm red oil through the broth without burying the ginger and sesame underneath.

Because the chicken is already cooked, the whole thing comes together in about the time it takes the noodles to soften, which is exactly what you want on a low day. A little bread alongside is never unwelcome, ready for whatever creamy broth is left at the bottom of the bowl.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 15 min · Serves: 2 · Cuisine: Asian · Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Creamy Chilli Chicken Udon Soup

Method

  1. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant without letting the garlic colour.
  2. Pour in the chicken bone broth. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and chilli crisp, then stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Add the udon noodles and bok choy. Simmer until the noodles have loosened and heated through and the bok choy stems are just tender while the leaves stay green.
  4. Add the sliced chicken and warm through gently for a minute or two. As it is already cooked, it needs only to heat rather than simmer hard.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the cooking cream. Stir gently until combined and hot, without letting the broth boil.
  6. Taste and adjust the soy sauce or chilli if needed.
  7. Divide the noodles, chicken and bok choy between two deep bowls. Ladle over plenty of creamy broth, then finish with spring onion, sesame seeds and extra chilli crisp to taste.

Serving Suggestion

Serve straight away while the udon is hot and the bok choy still has some bite. This is lovely with something to tear and dip alongside: warm Portuguese Bread Rolls (Papo Secos) or a slice of Simple Rosemary Focaccia are perfect for mopping up the last of the creamy chilli broth.

Storage Notes

The broth and chicken keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the best texture, store the udon separately where you can, as the noodles will keep drinking in the broth as they sit. Reheat gently over low heat without letting the creamy broth boil.

Cook's Notes

Chicken bone broth does much of the work here, providing most of the savoury depth of the finished soup, so use one you are happy to sip on its own.

Any cooked chicken works well, from a leftover roast to a poached breast. If you are cooking it specially, dry-brining first keeps it tender and well seasoned: the method in Dry Brined Roast Chicken Breast is ideal, and the chicken only needs warming through in the broth.

Chilli crisps vary a lot in heat and salt, so start with a teaspoon in the broth and taste before adding more.

Fresh or vacuum-packed udon only need to loosen and heat through. Cook them for too long and they lose their lovely chewy texture.

Cream can split if the broth boils hard, so keep the heat gentle once it goes in. Full-fat cooking cream is the most stable.

Baby bok choy wilts quickly. The stems want a minute or two, and the leaves need only the residual heat, so it stays green rather than collapsing.

The Grace Table Tip

Spoon the chilli crisp over each bowl at the end rather than stirring it all through. It sits on the creamy broth in bright ribbons of oil and keeps its crunch, and everyone can take as much or as little as they like.

Cooking cream gives the silkiest broth, but pouring cream works too. Fresh or vacuum-packed udon is best, though thick ramen noodles are a good substitute if that is what you have.