Gingered Soup & Pasta

A fast, fragrant soup built on chicken broth infused with fresh ginger and garlic. Vermicelli cooks right in the broth, and a big handful of cilantro and sliced scallions go in at the end to keep everything bright and fresh.

The sesame oil is key. Sauteing the ginger and garlic in it for just a few seconds before adding the broth gives the whole pot a toasty, nutty backbone that plain vegetable oil can’t deliver.

Lemon wedges go to the table, not into the pot. Each person squeezes their own at the last second. Adding lemon too early turns the cilantro and scallions from vivid green to dull olive, and nobody wants a muddy-looking bowl of soup.

Pro Tips

• Mince the ginger very fine. Big chunks won’t release enough flavor in such a short cooking time.
• Break the vermicelli into short pieces before adding to the broth. Long strands make this soup hard to eat with a spoon.
• Don’t overcook the pasta. Start checking at 4 minutes. Vermicelli goes from al dente to mushy fast, and it keeps softening in the hot broth even after you kill the heat.
• Use good quality chicken broth. With this few ingredients, the broth is doing most of the heavy flavor work.

Variations

• Add shredded cooked chicken for a heartier, more filling bowl.
• Stir in a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of chili flakes for an Asian-inspired kick.
• Swap vermicelli for rice noodles to make it gluten-free.