Vietnamese Chicken Soup with Glass Noodles (Mien Ga)
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Vietnamese Chicken Soup with Glass Noodles (Miến Gà)
Looking for a comforting noodle soup without too much fuss? Vietnamese glass noodle soup with chicken, or Miến Gà, is easy to make and packed with flavor. Unlike other Vietnamese noodle soups, this dish comes together quickly and is perfect for a cozy and light meal at home.
What is Miến Gà?
Miến Gà is a Vietnamese noodle soup that consists of silky and translucent thin mung bean noodles in a flavorful and clear chicken broth. This noodle soup is quicker to make than Vietnamese beef noodle soup (Phở Bò). And because of the use of thin glass noodles, Miến Gà is even quicker than Vietnamese chicken noodle soup (Phở Gà). The noodle soup comes garnished with fresh cilantro, a dash of ground black pepper, and crispy fried shallots for added texture and aroma.
What You Will Need
Chicken – Use a whole free-range chicken for a more authentic flavor and texture. The combination of bone-in dark and white meat makes a flavorful broth. If you don’t have a whole chicken, use a variety of chicken cuts.
For a simple meatless version, use store-bought chicken stock. Use half chicken stock and half water.
Bean thread mung bean glass noodles
Glass noodles – Known as Miến in Vietnamese, these are also referred to as cellophane noodles, or bean thread vermicelli noodles. They are see-through when cooked. Hence, glass noodles.
Because the noodles are so thin, you don’t need to cook them for too long. Boil them in a pot of water for about two minutes. Sometimes cooking separately is not even required. Simply drop them into hot broth to cook.
Unlike rice noodles, these noodles don’t cloud or thicken the broth. They can also better withstand heat and not break apart easily.
The glass noodles I’m using (pictured above) is the same one that I add to eggrolls (Chả Giò). These glass noodles are the most popular in Vietnamese cuisine. They are primarily made from mung bean starch with a mixture of potato, tapioca, and pea starch for chew. There are other varieties of glass noodles made from other tubers such as arrowroot and sweet potatoes, which are more common in other cuisines, but you can also use them here too.
Aromatics – Yellow onions, shallots, ginger, and coriander seeds. These add fragrance and a subtle sweetness that is needed to create a flavorful broth. If you don’t have yellow onions, use shallots instead or a combination of both. If you don’t have coriander seeds which are the cilantro seeds, use a bunch of fresh cilantro, a sprig of cilantro roots, or a combination of all of them. Use what you have.
Seasonings – Turmeric powder, fish sauce, salt, rock sugar, MSG, and chicken bouillon powder.
Garnishes – Green onions or scallions, cilantro, fried shallots, ground black pepper, chili peppers for a spicy kick, and limes.
Optional Ingredients
You can add other ingredients to make the noodle soup fancier. The following aren’t necessary but the most common additions to Miến Gà include:
Oocyte or unlaid chicken eggs – These are the undeveloped yolks found inside immature chicken eggs. You can find them in most Asian supermarkets. They add a rich and creamy component to the noodle soup. If using, add them to the hot broth towards the end to avoid overcooking.
Dried shiitake mushrooms – Shiitake mushrooms are optional but they provide a natural and earthy umami to the broth. Use only a little so it doesn’t overwhelm the broth. I like to use dried shiitake mushrooms. Rehydrate with hot water. Squeeze out excess water. Slice thin and add them to the pot when making the stock.
How to Make Miến Gà
Step 1: Roast the aromatics
Roasting deepens the flavor of the broth and adds a subtle smokiness. In Vietnam, the aromatics are roasted over an open flame due to the lack of ovens. I find it more convenient to roast in the oven. It’s even easier with a small toaster oven. This also avoids too much charring that may darken the broth. To roast in the toaster oven, place the yellow onions, shallots, and ginger first on the highest tray without crowding and set it to broil at 450°F for 15 minutes.
The smaller spices such as coriander seeds are traditionally dry toasted in a pan. But why use another pan that you will have to wash? Simply add the coriander seeds to the tray, then continue to broil with the other aromatics for another 3-5 minutes. It should be done at about the same time.
If you are short on time, skip the roasting. As mentioned earlier, the smokiness is subtle.
Stock pot: whole chicken, shallots, ginger, coriander seeds, and coriander root
Step 2: Make the Broth
Place the chicken, roasted aromatics, and all the seasonings into the pot so that the chicken can absorb the flavor while it is simmering. Cook for about 30 minutes. Whole chicken will float so make sure to flip it halfway through cooking.
Once done, carefully remove the chicken and place it in an ice bath until it is cool enough to handle. Chop the chicken into bite-sized chickens or hand shred the chicken meat and set aside. Remove the rest of the aromatics from the broth and discard.
Step 3: Cook the Noodles
Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add glass noodles and cook for 2 minutes or until the noodles become clear. Drain and rinse well. Set aside.
Cooked bean thread mung bean noodles in water.
Step 4: Assemble and Serve
When ready to serve, add cooked noodles to a bowl. Ladle with hot broth. Add chicken, garnish, and enjoy.
FAQs
Why do I need to use an ice bath?
This is a common technique used in Asian cooking to keep the chicken firm and moist by stopping the cooking process. But more importantly, it is used to gelatinize the skin when using whole chicken. This creates a beautiful presentation. You can skip this step if you are not using skin-on whole chickens or don’t care for presentations and “hangry.”
I can’t find rock sugar. Can I use regular cane sugar?
Yes. If you can’t find rock sugar, which can be either white or yellow, use regular granulated cane sugar. Keep in mind that granulated cane sugar is much more sweet than rock sugar so make sure to use less.
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Vietnamese Chicken Soup with Glass Noodles (Miến Gà)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the toaster oven to broil at 450°F. Peel the outer layer of the shallots or onion. Slice the ginger into thick coins or small chunks (peeling optional). Place shallots/onion and ginger on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the tray on the highest rack in the toaster oven and broil for 15 minutes. Add the coriander seeds to the tray, if using. Continue to broil for another 3-5 minutes or until the ingredients are aromatic.
- In a large pot with a lid, add chicken, ginger, shallots, coriander seeds, and all the seasonings. Cook for 30 minutes on a medium-low simmer with a lid slightly off-center to keep from boiling over. Whole chicken will float so make sure to flip it halfway through cooking.
- Transfer the chicken to an ice bath to cool down. This ice bath step is optional for skin-on whole chicken to gelatinize and firm up the skin. Otherwise, remove the chicken and allow it to cool down on its own. Once cool enough to handle, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces (for those who want to keep the bones) or hand shred the chicken meat (for those who want meat only). Set chicken aside. Remove the aromatics from the broth and discard. Adjust seasonings in the broth if needed.
- Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Drop in the glass noodles and cook for 2 minutes or until the noodles become clear. Drain and rinse well. Set aside.
- When ready to serve, add cooked glass noodles to a bowl. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Add chicken pieces. Garnish with freshly sliced cilantro, fried shallots, ground black pepper, a squeeze of lime, and chili peppers.
Notes
If you can't find coriander seeds, replace with a handful of fresh grocery-store cilantro or one thick stem of cilantro/coriander root.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
607Fat
20 gSat. Fat
6 gCarbs
79 gFiber
5 gNet carbs
73 gSugar
15 gProtein
28 gSodium
1247 mgCholesterol
98 mgThe values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
