When poached in these beautiful spices, the chicken takes on a whole new flavour. Then combined with the rich umami flavours of the tofu and enoki mushrooms, and fresh vermicelli noodle salad, this meal is completely delicious. It is also very versatile. To make the dish vegetarian, then simply leave out the chicken, and enjoy the delicious Asian flavours.

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes

2 skinless chicken breasts (approx 330 g)

5 star anise

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon peppercorns

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons low salt soy sauce

1 litre low salt chicken stock

 

200 g ready made fried tofu, diced

100 g enoki mushrooms, base cut off and broken into 4-5 clumps

100 g snow peas

1 red capsicum, finely sliced

80 g iceberg lettuce, shredded

100 g bean shoot

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 cup coriander, chopped

½ cup mint leaves, chopped

¼ cup lime juice

2 cloves garlic, diced finely.

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon low salt soy sauce

150 g vermicelli rice noodles

1. Prepare vermicelli noodles as per instructions on the packet, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add spices, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add stock and soy sauce.
3. Place chicken into stock and bring to boil for a few minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and place lid on the saucepan. Keep on low heat for 20 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, leaving the chicken in the broth.
4. Remove chicken breast and shred meat.  Strain and keep the liquid and discard spices.
5. Take 3/4 cup of saved chicken broth, and add brown sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Heat oil in a pan on medium,  add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until just soft. Then add tofu and toss in garlic and oil for 2-3 minutes, then add chicken broth mixture. As you only want to warm the enoki mushrooms through, add them to the tofu and continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Let mixture cool slightly.
7. Combine noodles, lettuce, capsicum, spring onions, bean shoots and herbs. Add cooled chicken mixture and juices, combining gently.
8. Serve immediately with cut lime.

 

Chef's notes: You can serve the leftover soup as a side dish to this recipe, as it is so delicious by itself! Otherwise, save any additional stock for soup or to add to stir fry dishes. It will store in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrient	Per Serve	Per 100g	Criteria (per Serve)
Energy (kJ)	1888.07	457.28	≤ 2200 kJ
Protein (g)	39.50	9.57	-
Total fat (g)	9.68	2.35	-
Saturated fat (g)	1.83	0.44	≤ 7 g
Carbohydrate (g)	45.27	10.96	≤ 60 g
Sugars (g)	5.67	1.37	-
Water (g)	308.51	74.72	-
Dietary fibre (g)	8.43	2.04	≥ 5 g
Sodium (mg)	341.44	82.69	≤ 600 mg