This Chick’n Sotanghon Soup is the Filipino version of chick’n noodle soup. Gingery, garlicky broth is loaded with glass noodles, seasoned vegan chick’n and sautéed veggies – making for the ultimate comforting meal!

Chick’n Sotanghon Soup

Happy New Year, Friends! Since I’m saying hi to all of you from my birthplace of Cebu, Philippines, I think it’s only fair that the first recipe I share in 2023 is one of my absolute favorite Filipino recipes … Chick’n Sotanghon Soup! But before we get into the recipe, I just wanted to take this time to say thanks to all of you who visit my site and make my recipes. It means the world to me when I see all of your recreations and read all of your comments and messages. Food has always been such a passion of mine, and sharing my recipes with y’all over these past 6 years has ignited that passion in a way that I never ever imagined! So again … from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Okay, now on to the recipe! Think of chick’n sotanghon soup as the Filipino version of American chick’n noodle soup. Whenever my sisters and I were sick or needed something cozy to fill us up, instead of making traditional chick’n noodle soup, my mom would make sotanghon soup. It’s garlicky, and gingery, and quite literally comfort in a bowl! Seriously perfect for the cold, winter months!

Grab a drink and let’s make the most delicious Chick’n sotanghon soup!

What Is Sotanghon?

Sotanghon (sometimes referred to as cellophane or glass noodles) are a type of transparent noodle typically made from mung bean starch. When doing my research, it’s hard to say how or when sotanghon originated in the the Philippines, but because the origins of cellophane noodles are in China, I’m assuming it was introduced to the Philippines by Chinese traders, then altered to suit the tastes of Filipinos – just like many dishes in the Philippines (eg: pancit, lumpia, and arroz caldo). That said, there’s really no right or wrong way to make sotanghon soup. While my mom (and many Filipinos) made her sotanghon soup with cabbage and carrots, I like to make mine with spinach and mushrooms! The star of the show is really the flavorful broth and the sotanghon noodles!

Ingredients for Chick’n Sotanghon Soup

I love chick’n sotanghon soup because not only is comforting and delicious, but it’s also made with super simple ingredients! Here’s everything you need to make my chick’n sotanghon soup:

• Vegan chicken pieces: make sure it’s “grilled” vegan chick’n pieces, such as Daring Foods, Gardein, or Sweet Earth Foods. You don’t want a crispy chick’n nugget or tender!
• Aromatics: LOTS of fresh onion, garlic, ginger, and green onion!
• Mushrooms: I like to use button mushrooms, but wood ear mushrooms would be delicious in this soup, too!
• Vegan chick’n broth:  I typically buy this in powder, cube, or paste bouillon form, then mix it with water to create a very flavorful broth. I can find artificial chick’n powder or bouillon at my local Asian market, specialty health food stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, or on Amazon. If you can’t access it, you can substitute it with mushroom powder, or vegetable bouillon. If using vegetable bouillon, I highly suggest using a powder or paste, as these are highly concentrated and will produce a much more flavorful broth.
• Sotanghon noodles: I usually buy these from my local asian market, but you can also find them at some grocery stores and retailers like Walmart and Target. If you can’t specifically find “sotanghon” noodles, look for vermicelli noodles or bean thread noodles.
• Soy sauce
• Spinach

How to Make Chick’n Sotanghon Soup

Just like the ingredients list, this soup is simple to make. Here’s how:

1. Sauté the Vegan Chick’n

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the chick’n pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the chick’n is heated through and slightly crisped around the edges. Remove the chick’n pieces and set aside. 

2. Then the Aromatics & Mushrooms:

Heat some more oil in the same pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, and the garlic & ginger is fragrant. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook while stirring, until most of the moisture cooks out. 

3. Simmer:

Pour in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

4. Noodles, Chick’n & Spinach!

About 10 minutes before the soup is done simmering, prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Add the reserved chick’n pieces and soy sauce to the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Right before serving, stir in the spinach.

5. Serve and enjoy!

To serve, place a handful of the sotanghon noodles into a bowl and ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish with green onion and enjoy!

More Soups to Try

1. Italian Wedding Soup
2. French Onion Soup
3. Zuppa Toscana
4. Birria Ramen
5. Albondigas

Filipino Chick’n Noodle Soup for the Soul

I hope you love this chick’n sotanghon soup as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!

Til next time, friends!

XO!

Chick’n Sotanghon Soup

Ashley

The This Chick’n Sotanghon Soup is the Filipino version of chick’n noodle soup. Gingery, garlicky broth is loaded with glass noodles, seasoned vegan chick’n and sautéed veggies – making for the ultimate comforting meal!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main, Soup

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Ingredients:
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 8 ounces vegan chick’n pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 small onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly julienned
• 15 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1- pound white mushrooms thinly sliced
• 6 cups vegan chick’n broth
• 4 ounces sotanghon noodles or glass noodles
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 6 cups chopped spinach
• Minced green onion for garnish

Instructions

 

• Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chick’n pieces and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the chick’n is heated through and slightly crisped around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chick’n pieces and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly translucent, and the garlic and ginger is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and season with the remaining teaspoon salt and pepper. Continue to cook while stirring, until most of the moisture cooks out, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. About 10 minutes before the soup is done simmering, prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Add the reserved chick’n pieces and soy sauce to the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Last, stir in the spinach right before serving.
• To serve, place a handful of the sotanghon noodles into a bowl and ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish with green onion and enjoy!

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