Name: Hawaiian Chicken Long Rice
Prep time: 60 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 20 oz chicken thighs (skinless); 3 cloves garlic (large, freshly grated); 3 tablespoons ginger (fresh, grated from frozen); 2 leaves bay; 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or shoyu or coconut aminos (GF)); 2 noodles (bundles of Bean thread LONG RICE); salt (to taste); Green onions (to taste, for garnish); 6 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)

What does one do when one gets a cold in Hawai’i? Chicken Long Rice is the answer!

Chicken long rice is a simple, yet delicious soup: bite size chicken, broth and those wonderful rice noodles.

It’s Gluten Free, Dairy Free and unbelievably delicious, packed with all the Umami from the broth and the shoyu sauce. Not to mention its “tummy healing” qualities with fresh garlic and ginger.

Mrs. Kahilihiwa is my neighbor, and the moment I tasted her version of the soup, I was hooked. Why?

Because the recipe has been in her family for half a century and is the original version used in Luaus by her mother in law. It doesn’t get more authentic Hawaiian than this, does it?

First a few notes though:

The chicken in her soup is diced, not shredded. Hellowww…Chicken Long rice. The chicken, like she says, is the first ingredient and don’t skimp on it. When the chicken is shredded it is not as visually appealing.

Also, Mrs. Kahilihiwas says: one should NOT see the seasonings. So, I grated all the ingredients such as the garlic and the ginger.

Finally, but this might be a preference, she told me to use chicken thighs and not breast. In fact, the chicken is first sautéed with the aromatics without oil or butter. The bit of fat in the thighs does the trick.

My small modification to the recipe: I used coconut aminos and not soy sauce. Mrs. Kahilihiwa says the sauce is just for color, so why add the extra sodium? Not to mention the Coconut aminos adds a bit of sweetness that is just perfect.

So, are you ready to experience this Hawaiian healing soup?

DifficultyVery easy
CostMedium
Preparation time1 Hour
Serving6
Cooking methodStove

Ingredients

Most of the “exotic” ingredients can be found at your local Asian market

20 oz chicken thighs (skinless)

3 cloves garlic (large, freshly grated)

3 tablespoons ginger (fresh, grated from frozen)

2 leaves bay

3 tablespoons soy sauce (or shoyu or coconut aminos (GF))

2 noodles (bundles of Bean thread LONG RICE)

salt (to taste)

Green onions (to taste, for garnish)

6 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)

Tools

Steps

The making of this soup is so easy as it is straightforward.

Soak the noodles

Fist soak the two bundles of noodles in boiling hot water while you prepare the soup. By doing so, they will re constitute, eventually absorbing less liquid, and you will be able to chop them more easily.

Prepare the soup

1- Dice the chicken thighs. Small bite size cubes. Keep the fatty parts.

2- Place the chicken in a large and wide casserole, over medium high heat.

3- Grate or press the garlic over the chicken and mix to incorporate. Do the same with the ginger.

4- Cook the chicken and the aromatics until all the “pink” is almost gone. DO NOT brown the chicken.

5- Now add about 4 cups of the chicken stock and the bay leaves.
6- Let simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

7- Add the soy/shoyu or coconut aminos for color and taste for salt.

8-Drain the long rice noodles and place them over a cutting board. Chop them roughly (2-3 inches pieces).

9-Add the noodles to the pot and cook, simmering for about 10 minutes until the noodles become transpared.

NOTE: the noodles will absorb a lot of liquid, so you can either add more warm broth or start by using less noodles. Depends on how much noodles to broth ratio you like.

Serve warm topped with some chives or sliced green onions.

Enjoy!