FFwD, Week 3: Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Week 3 of French Fridays with Dorie delivers another delicious recipe from Dorie Greenspan & her latest cookbook, Around My French Table.  This is a soup I would try in a restaurant or at least convince a dining companion to order so that I might have a taste, but honestly would probably never have made at home.  Stay tuned & you will learn why. 

The recipe starts off with a mix of bold flavors:  cilantro, star anise, coriander seeds, white peppercorns, onion, garlic, ginger & two dried chilies mixed with chicken broth, unsweetened coconut milk, nuoc mam, brown sugar & a pinch of salt.  I was expecting a spicy soup & either I’m adjusting to my husband’s preference for super spicy or maybe I went wrong with my pepper selection.  I chose the Arbol Chili Peppers from Penzeys Spices.  The chilies have such a great color!

The soup finished nicely with shreds of poached chicken, rice noodles, lime juice & fresh basil on top.

Running through my head while making this was, “to cilantro, or not?”  Are you a cilantro hater?  There is science to back up this much debated topic.  Others in my family detest do not tolerate it, so perhaps it is true that I am genetically predisposed to not so much like cilantro.  To me it does taste a little soapy.  I tolerate in small amounts.  I love so many things often paired with cilantro & I’m not willing to ban it altogether from my diet.  I did not find the cilantro flavor to be overpowering in the soup & quite enjoyed it!  The potential was there for it to be overwhelming considering cilantro is the stem/leaves of the coriander plant & the recipe includes coriander seeds!  So my question to you, in which camp do you fall?  Are you a cilantrophobe?

I have my eye on some other Vietnamese-style soup recipes...
Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemongrass, Fine Cooking
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Food & Wine
Pho Ga,  Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network


Week 2:  Gérard's Mustard Tart
Week 4:  Hachis Parmentier


Make a difference in your community on October 16, World Food Day, by donating in some way to your local food bank.  Contact your local food bank for information and guidelines before donating. A monetary donation is another way to provide pantries with the ability to feed those who are hungry.