This one-pot recipe for Quick & Easy Chinese Noodle Soup makes a super simple, aromatic broth that’s packed with noodles and Asian flavor.
Serve this soup as a starter for Chicken and Broccoli or Chicken and Chinese Mushrooms for an authentic Chinese meal right in your own kitchen!
Guess how long it takes to make this soup. Come on, guess. Ok, I’ll tell you – 10 Minutes – Yep, 10! Homemade, delicious soup in no time at all – You are welcome! 🙂
The soup tastes authentic even though it calls for use of store-bought ingredients. And at only 236 calories for a generous bowl, it’s a lot healthier than you get in restaurants.
This Chinese Noodle Soup is perfect for busy weeknights because it’s so quick and simple and you can toss in any meat or vegetables you want.
Why This Recipe Works
- The use of fresh ingredients makes it so much healthier than instant noodle soups that are loaded with unnatural ingredients.
- The Asian flavors of the soy sauce and oyster sauce give it a rich authentic taste.
- It cooks all in one pot, making it not only simple, but it flavors the noodles as they cook.
Once you try this recipe, you’ll never go back to the packaged soups again! Chinese cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to make.
I know how easy it is to rip open a package of Ramon noodles to have a quick meal, but I’m telling you there really isn’t a need.
What Noodles To Use
The beauty of this recipe is you can use anything from Ramon (throw away the seasoning packet) to egg noodles.
Just read the package instructions and adjust the recipe accordingly – It’s that easy!
This wholesome noodle soup is low fat, healthy and packed full of tasty ingredients. So, don’t let a lack of time ruin a meal, this speedy recipe is easy to whip up at the last minute.
I’ve created these recipes because I have cookbook after cookbook filled with pages of lovely looking Chinese noodle soups that quite often come with complicated directions.
My versions are not only quick and easy, but they are delicious too! The best part is that they are made from fresh, simple ingredients and there’s no packet of powder to be found.
If you make this soup (or any of my others), you’ll never make the instant kind again!
Step By Step Instructions
In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add the green onions.
Add the Bok Choy or Chinese greens.
Add light & Dark soy sauce.
Add the oyster sauce.
Add the noodles right into the soup.
Follow the instructions on your noodle’s package for the cooking time.
Once cooked, serve and enjoy!
Cooking the noodles Separately
- If you are concerned that your noodles might suck up too much of the soup, just cook them separately (according to the package instructions), add them to the bowl and cover with the soup.
On Making your own stock
This recipe tastes best with homemade stock. I highly recommend making your own and storing it in the freezer.
Here’s How:
- Combine the beef or poultry bones, 1 large onion (with skin), 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks, a couple of bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a large stockpot. Cover by about 2 inches of cold water.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, skimming off and discarding foam occasionally.
- Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl and discard solids. Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Skim solidified fat from surface, discard the fat and freeze in portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months
Recipe Variations
- Meaty variation: Add leftover, cooked meats at the end to make it more of a complete meal.
- Seafood variation: Add some raw shrimp during the last minute or so of the cooking process. Once they turn pink, they’re ready to serve.
- Vegetarian Variation: Use vegetable stock and the vegetables of your choice. Cooking the vegetables separately is recommended so you control the firmness of the vegetables instead of overcooking them in the soup.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Quick and Easy Chinese Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 green onions finely sliced into rounds
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium dark Soy Sauce (this can be held until the end and added if needed by taste).
- 4 oz Dried Chinese noodles of your choice
- 4 leaves Bok Choy/pak choi sliced
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Add the green onions, Bok Choy or Chinese greens, soy sauces, oyster sauce & the noodles.
- Reduce the heat and cook according to noodle package instructions (just until tender). Serve hot
Tips + Notes
- Cooking the noodles separate: If you are concerned that your noodles might suck up too much of the soup, just cook them separately (according to the package instructions), add them to the bowl and cover with the soup.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in April of 2014, but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and a video in August of 2018.
Becky says
Looks easy and delicious! From where you got chicken broth?
Erren says
Hi Becky, You can use homemade or store bought.
Hannah says
Quick and easy is great and all but I have no money and I’m not going to buy oyster sauce at the grocery store for one recipe. Can I get a noodle soup recipe that uses ingredients I actually might have????
Erren says
Hi Hannah, you can always just omit the oyster sauce vegetarians have reported it’s good without it.
Stuart Miller says
how small do the pak choi leaves need to be cut into..? soup looks great!
Erren says
Hi Stuart, I cut it into bite sized strips
Carol Poulson--N.J. girl says
Still love and follow your site. How are you feeling now a days?
Erren says
Hi Carol, That’s so sweet of you to check in. Summer is always a good time for me, so I’m feeling pretty good! I always take some time off to spend with my family before school starts again which is why my posts haven’t been as regular. Thanks again and I’m so glad to have such a loyal reader 🙂
Amy says
Can you leave out the Oyster Sauce? I do not care for it at all.
Erren says
Hi Amy, sorry for the late reply. Comments don’t always make it to my phone for immediate response. You can omit the oyster sauce if you’re not a fan. It should still be good.
Amy says
That’s ok! Thanks for getting back to me!
Carol Massie says
Try adding fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice to this soup. I make that all the time and really love it!
Erren says
Ho Carol, sounds lovely! Will have to try it!
Sophie says
Oh my, the PC police are invading cooking now. Kay, that was rude and Erren, thank you for this recipe. It is delicious!
Erren says
Thank YOU Sophie. 🙂
teca5 says
As far as names as concerned, Chinese or Oriental is the only name I would know for this particular soup. Any other name equals a different soup. Really looking forward to trying it. HUGE memories.
Erren says
Hi teca5, thanks for the input. Coming up with names is a tricky business which is why I changed the name of it in the first place, but you can’t please everyone. I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Kay Higgins says
This recipe sounds to yummy and easy not to try! On a side note, did you know that on the http bar (sorry, I don’t know what it’s really called), the recipe is called “oriental noodle soup”? I don’t think we use that word (oriental) as a cultural reference anymore, only for historical references. Thanks!
S says
This isn’t rude. You were just trying to help everybody be comfortable. Thank you!
Sherry says
Hey we cut up hard boiled eggs and put on top. That is one of husbands favorite meals.
Erren says
Sounds fantastic! So glad you like it!
Linda Freeman says
I bought a soy sauce at a sushi counter at Kroger’s and I think it was even lite. It was the best flavor I’ve ever tasted. I was too lazy to find the aisle where all the sauces were so I grabbed it and re buy it all the time.