I love noodle bowls! What’s not to like? This one makes plain chicken noodle soup seem, well, really plain. The next time you want either take-out Asian food or just a bowl of chicken noodle soup, make this instead. It rules!

Ingredients

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil (twice around the pan)

　　1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders (white meat) or thighs (dark meat), cut into bite-size pieces

　　4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

　　1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or grated

　　1 cup shredded carrots (available in pouches in the produce department)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin (eyeball it in your palm)

　　2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder (eyeball it)

　　6 cups chicken stock or broth

　　1/2 pound vermicelli (thin spaghetti)

　　4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2 1/2-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into matchsticks

　　2 cups fresh crisp bean spouts

　　Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then add the chicken and lightly brown it, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, add the carrots, season with salt and pepper, and add the cumin and five-spice powder. Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Add the vermicelli and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the scallions and bean sprouts and turn off the heat. Let the soup stand for 5 minutes, adjust the seasonings, and serve.

　　Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats