Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 6 green onions, sliced, 1 1/2 cups
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp minced peeled ginger
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
• 6 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 cups slightly packed chopped Napa cabbage
• 6 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 package dry ramen, seasoning packets discarded
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Warm 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Stir in the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, then add the green onions, garlic and ginger and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer. Take the skillet off the heat and set the vegetables aside.
2. Place plastic wrap over the chicken, then use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound it until the thickness is even. In a large cast iron dutch oven, warm 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper, add it to the pot, and brown it for about 2 1/2 minutes per side.
3. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and sesame oil to the pot, then scrape in the carrot mixture. Once the soup reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 – 7 minutes. The center should read 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
4. Lift the chicken breasts out of the soup and place them on a cutting board. Rest them for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
5. While the chicken rests, stir the sugar, cabbage and mushrooms into the soup and bring it back to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3 – 5 minutes longer, until tender. Stir the sliced chicken back into the soup. Serve warm with cilantro sprinkled over the top.