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Easy, Frugal Oriental Chicken Soup Recipe

Compiled by Vicki McClure Davidson

Homemade soup is soothing and economical, perfect for strained food budgets

There are hundreds of delicious versions of chicken soup, many of which are cheap-cheap-cheap to make — this one takes very little time to prepare and has an Oriental flair.

If you want to increase the amount of vegetables in this soup, be sure to increase the water or chicken broth over the amount cited in the recipe. Rule of thumb for homemade soups is about 3/4 cup to 1 full cup water per person to be served. Naturally, if you have hungry teens (who should love this) or want to have leftovers for another meal, double or triple the recipe.

To save money, you can decrease the amount of chicken used. When reheating any leftovers of this soup, use a gentle heat so as to not overcook the noodles (they'll disintegrate into nothingness if cooked for too long). You might even use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the noodles and put them aside in a small bowl while the liquid and vegetables reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Then, when the soup is hot enough, add the ramen noodles back to the pan and turn off the heat. The noodles will take little time to warm up — they should be rewarmed enough to serve after just 30 seconds or so.

This recipe is excellent for people on a low-sodium diet — feel free to add salt to taste if having a low-sodium soup isn't necessary or desired.

Additional note: Use this recipe as a springboard to creating soup variations with other pasta types, other veggies in your fridge crisper. A bit of diced bell pepper or leftover baby peas, a quarter-head of shredded cabbage, a handful of bean sprouts or Brussels sprouts, a 1/2 cup leftover cubed pork loin roast... you can be wildly creative using up many of your leftovers with this quick, cheap, hearty soup.

Easy Oriental Chicken Soup

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens 365 Last-Minute Meals, Jessica Saari editor, Meredith Publishing, Des Moines, Iowa, 2007.

1 T. cooking oil
1/4 c. diced onions
1 8-oz package chicken breast stir-fry strips, or slice 8 ounces of boneless chicken breasts into 1/4-inch strips, or 1/2 or 3/4 cup of diced leftover cooked chicken
3 c. water or chicken broth
1/2 of a 16-oz package frozen brocolli, carrots, and water chestnuts (about 2 cups)
1 or 2 packages chicken or Oriental-style ramen noodles (increase/decrease based on personal preference)
2 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions to saucepan, cook for about 1 minute, stirring them continually.

Add the chicken to pan; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. If using leftover cooked chicken, cook on lower heat for just a minute or so. Remove pan from heat.

Add water, frozen vegetables, and the seasoning packet from ramen noodles package to the chicken and onions in the sauce pan (skip using the ramen seasoning packet if on a sodium-free diet). Put pan back on burner, bring to boiling. Break up ramen noodles; stir noodles into soup.

Reduce heat. Simmer soup, covered, for about 3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and serve.

Serves 3 to 4.

Frugal Café Philosophy

Easy, Frugal Oriental Chicken Soup Recipe

Easy Oriental Chicken Soup