Maneet Chauhan’s Thukpa (Tibetan Chicken-Noodle Soup)

This recipe for Tibet’s fiery chicken-noodle soup is adapted from Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India, by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy. Chock full of shredded cabbage, carrot, bell peppers, green beans, chicken and rice noodles, scented with ginger and cumin, fired up with serrano chile, garnished with scallions and bean sprouts, it’s a nourishing meal in a bowl.

This version is also pretty quick to put together, as it relies on store-bought chicken broth.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or 1 14.5 ounce can of chopped tomatoes, with their liquid)

1-inch piece ginger, peeled

4 garlic cloves, peeled

3 serrano chiles, seeded and roughly chopped

3 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 quarts chicken broth

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped green beans

1 can (8 ounces) sliced bamboo shoots, drained

1 cup shredded green cabbage

6 ounces thin rice noodles

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

Finely chopped scallions, for garnish

Bean sprouts, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, serranos, cumin and oil and process until smooth. Transfer the paste to a heavy-bottomed soup pot along with the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrot, bell peppers, green beans, bamboo shoots and cabbage. Cover the pot halfway and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Add the noodles and lemon juice and simmer until the noodles are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

4. Spoon the thukpa into bowls, garnish with the scallions and bean sprouts and serve hot.