Thukpa (Tibetan Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground Sichuan or timur pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 lb (450g) boneless chicken thigh, thinly sliced (or firm tofu for a vegetarian version)
• 6 cups (1.4L) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz (225g) fresh wheat noodles (or dried egg noodles)
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• salt, to taste
• lemon wedges, for serving

Before you cook

• Thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic and ginger, and slit the green chilies
• Slice the chicken thin against the grain, or press and cube the tofu
• Chop the tomatoes, shred the cabbage, julienne the carrot, and slice the bell pepper and spring onions
• Chop the cilantro
• If using dried noodles, have a separate pot of water ready to boil them; fresh noodles can go straight into the soup

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
2. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes
3. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds
4. Add the cumin, ground Sichuan pepper, chili powder, and turmeric and stir for 15 seconds to toast the spices
5. Add the sliced chicken and cook, stirring, until it turns opaque on the outside, about 3 minutes
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, mashing them slightly, until they soften into a paste, about 4 minutes
7. Pour in the stock and soy sauce and bring the pot to a boil
8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through
9. Add the shredded cabbage and julienned carrot and simmer for 3 minutes
10. Add the noodles directly to the pot and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes for fresh noodles or according to the package time for dried
11. Add the sliced bell pepper and simmer for 1 more minute so it stays crisp
12. Taste the broth and season with salt as needed
13. Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter spring onion and cilantro over each
14. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side