Chicken Sotanghon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger julienned
- 1 pound chicken wings cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup Chinese celery kinchay, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon atchuete powder
- 1 large carrot julienned
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces sotanghon noodles
- ½ head napa cabbage shredded
- 3 hardboiled eggs halved
- Fried garlic bits
- Green onions chopped
Instructions
- Process For the Fried Garlic Bits:
- Heat oil in a small pan over low heat.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. They’ll crisp up as they cool.
- Process for the Chicken Sotanghon
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until softened.
- Add chicken and cook until lightly browned and juices run clear.
- Stir in Chinese celery and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened.
- Pour in fish sauce and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
- In a bowl, mix ½ cup of hot broth with atsuete powder until dissolved. Add to the pot.
- Toss in carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes until halfway done. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add sotanghon noodles and gently push them into the broth to soften.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with boiled eggs, fried garlic bits, and green onions. Serve hot.
- Once the noodles have softened slightly, add cabbage and cook for 2-3 minutes until noodles are cooked and veggies are tender yet crisp.
Details Behind My Chicken Sotanghon Recipe
Chicken Sotanghon Recipe – Filipino cuisine features a range of noodle dishes and Chicken Sotanghon is one of them. Chicken Sotanghon is a chicken soup noodle dish that mainly features sotanghon, otherwise known as cellophane noodles. Cellophane noodles, also called fensi in Chinese, are see-through noodles made from starch and water, which can include mung bean, potato, sweet potato, tapioca, or canna starch.
They’re usually sold dry and need soaking before using in soups, stir-fries, or spring rolls. They get their name “cellophane noodles” or “glass noodles” because they turn translucent when cooked. These noodles, often confused with rice vermicelli, are a common ingredient in Asian cooking.
Like many noodle dishes, there are different ways to make and enjoy the dish.
Additional Notes for My Chicken Sotanghon Recipe
There are plenty of tips to get better results with this noodle dish. First off, there are the ingredients. Using bone-in chicken parts is best for flavor, but shredded rotisserie chicken is a convenient and affordable alternative. Chinese celery, carrots, and napa cabbage are the suggested vegetables, but you can swap them for mushrooms, pechay, or Baguio beans. Then there is the cooking process. You can skip presoaking the noodles to avoid overcooking; add them directly to the hot broth to soften. Besides chicken, you can use pork, meatballs, shrimp, or tofu.
Chicken sotanghon is perfect for a quick snack or light meal, served with rice, pandesal, or puto. Top with toasted garlic, green onions, and hard-boiled egg for extra flavor. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days but avoid freezing as it changes the noodle texture. When reheating, warm gently and adjust the consistency with broth or water as needed.
Dishes Similar to Chicken Sotanghon
As stated, there are all kinds of noodle dishes to enjoy in Filipino cuisine. For something closer to Chicken Sotanghon, there is Chicken Sopas. Chicken Sopas is a comforting Filipino macaroni soup consisting of elbow macaroni, vegetables, and chicken in a creamy broth made with evaporated milk. Enjoyed during breakfast, cold weather, or when feeling under the weather, it holds a special place in Filipino cuisine as a comfort food. Originating from the American colonial period, Sopas is the Filipino adaptation of the classic chicken noodle soup, with its name derived from the Spanish word for “soup,” sopa.
Other Soup Noodle Dishes
Generally, there is a wide variety of noodle soup dishes to try. Among the many options you can try, one of them is Batchoy. Batchoy, also known as batsoy, is a tasty noodle soup with a long history. This Filipino classic includes a delicious mix of chicken stock, pork offal, pork cracklings, beef, and noodles. Generally, it features seasoned pork offal wrapped in banana leaves and boiled with the broth, creating a delightful aroma and taste.
Another option is Pancit Molo. Pancit Molo is a popular noodle soup from Molo district in Iloilo, Philippines, influenced by Chinese immigrants. Initially inspired by Wonton Soup, it now includes shredded chicken and local flavors for a unique taste. Notably, Pancit Molo is known for its toasted garlic topping. Unlike other pancit dishes, it uses Molo wrappers instead of noodles, adding texture and flavor. These wrappers, filled with a savory mixture, are torn into pieces to thicken the broth, creating a satisfying soup.
Other Noodle Dishes
If you prefer noodle dishes without soup, there are several options to choose from. One option to consider is Pancit Malabon. Pancit Malabon is a dry noodle dish known for its vibrant orange sauce. Typically, it includes noodles topped with hard-boiled eggs, shrimp, pork rinds, and various garnishes, though optional toppings are available. The sauce gets its bright color from a blend of achuete (annatto seeds), shrimp broth, and flavorings like patis (fish sauce) and taba ng talangka (crab fat), contributing to its complex umami taste.
An alternative noodle dish you can try is Pancit Buko. Pancit Buko is a unique Filipino noodle dish that stands out for its use of young coconut meat as noodles. Despite not being traditional noodles, the thin strips of coconut meat are seasoned and cooked alongside spices, vegetables, and meat or seafood, offering a distinctive flavor. While unconventional, Pancit Buko still falls under the noodle category due to its preparation and enjoyment.
Overall, there are plenty of noodle soup dishes to try in Filipino cuisine and several variations you can explore. If you want to enjoy even more noodle dishes, there is Chicken Mami.
