Mushroom Chicken Rice Noodle Soup in a Jar (Microwave mea)

This one is my sneaky recipe. It tastes like I spent an hour making a proper chicken noodle soup. I spent 8 minutes. I used a jar. And I am not sorry.

Soaked mung bean noodles go on the bottom. Mushrooms above, I love adding dried cordyceps flowers (虫草花) here because they look incredibly impressive and they're genuinely great for immunity. Then cooked chicken on top. A chicken base concentrate poured over everything. Hot water up to the ⅔ line. Microwave. Done.

This is also a freezer meal, I'll show you how to freeze it at the bottom. Once you have a few of these in your freezer, Wednesday evening gets a lot less stressful.

Ingredients (1 serving)

•     100g dried mung bean noodles (粉丝, the thin transparent ones), soaked in cold water 20–30 minutes until pliable, drained

•     1 cup mixed mushrooms, shiitake, enoki, or any variety

•     ¼ cup dried cordyceps flowers 虫草花, optional but highly recommended

•     100g cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken from Costco is perfect; leftover chicken from soup is even better)

•     1 tsp chicken base paste, mixed with 2 tbsp hot water to make a concentrate

•     Hot water to fill jar to the ⅔ line when ready to cook (about 1 cup)

About the Stock Concentrate

This is the step that makes the difference. Instead of dropping a whole bouillon cube in and hoping it melts, I dissolve 1 tsp of chicken base paste in 2 tbsp of hot water first to make a small concentrate. Then I pour that concentrate over the layered ingredients before adding the rest of the hot water. It coats everything evenly, and the flavor is distributed through every noodle from the first minute of cooking.

Instructions

1.  Soak mung bean noodles in cold water for 20–30 minutes until pliable. Drain well.

2.  Layer in jar: soaked noodles on the bottom → mushrooms → cordyceps flowers → shredded chicken on top.

3.  Mix 1 tsp chicken base paste with 2 tbsp hot water until fully dissolved. Pour this concentrate evenly over the layered ingredients.

4.  When ready to cook: add hot water up to the ⅔ line of the jar (about 1 cup total including the concentrate). Do not fill to the top.

5.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Poke 3–4 holes to vent.

6.  Microwave on high for 5–8 minutes until everything is heated through and the broth smells fragrant.

7.  Let sit 1 minute before eating.

Chinese Mom Tips

•     Soak mung bean noodles in cold water, not hot. Hot water makes them too soft too quickly and they'll turn mushy in the microwave. Cold water gives them the right texture, pliable with a little resistance when you layer them in.

•     Rotisserie chicken is the best shortcut here. It's already seasoned, already cooked, and the slight saltiness adds depth to the broth with zero extra effort. Leftover chicken from a soup or braise is even better, use the cooking liquid as part of your broth instead of plain water.

•     Cordyceps flowers (虫草花) look like little orange threads. Subtle earthy flavor, used in Chinese cooking for health properties. Find them at any Chinese grocery store. If you can't find them, leave them out, the recipe is still perfect without them.

•     The stock concentrate is the secret. Don't skip dissolving the paste in hot water first. It coats every ingredient evenly from the start, you can taste the difference compared to just dropping a bouillon cube on top.

Safety

  Poke 4–5 vent holes in the plastic wrap before microwaving. Use a kitchen towel to handle the hot jar. Wait 1 full minute before opening, tilt the lid away from your face. Never use a thin repurposed jar. See full safety guide in the hub post. 

Cook time: 5–8 minutes

Liquid level: ⅔ jar, concentrate + hot water

Freezer friendly: Yes, see below

Freezer Hack #2, Mushroom Chicken Rice Noodle Soup 

This is one of the best freezer jar meals because everything in it freezes beautifully. The trick is soaking the noodles before freezing and adding the stock concentrate to the bag, that way all the flavor is already locked in before you freeze it.

How to freeze

1.  Soak mung bean noodles in cold water 20–30 minutes. Drain well, squeeze out excess water.

2.  In a Ziploc freezer bag, layer: soaked noodles(in the picture is rice noodles) , mushrooms, soaked and drained cordyceps flowers (if using), shredded chicken.

3.  Mix 1 tsp chicken base paste with 2 tbsp hot water until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then pour into the bag over the ingredients.

4.  Press out all the air, seal tightly, freeze flat. Keeps up to 1 month.

 

How to cook from frozen, microwave

1.  Remove from freezer. Tear open the bag.

2.  Place frozen block in a microwave-safe bowl, not a glass jar.

3.  Add 1 cup of hot water.

4.  Cover with plastic wrap, poke holes to vent.

5.  Microwave on high for 12–14 minutes.

6.  Let sit 1 minute before eating.

How to cook from frozen, stovetop

1.  Place frozen block in a small pot.

2.  Add 1½ cups hot water.

3.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer.

4.  Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully heated through.

5.  Taste and adjust with a little soy sauce or salt if needed.

The stovetop method gives you a slightly cleaner, richer broth. If you have access to a stove, it's worth the extra few minutes. If you're in a dorm or hotel, the microwave method works perfectly. The picture here is I cooked frozen version Chicken mushrooms and rice noodles  in the pot.

Part of my Raw to HOT in a Jar series, see all 7 recipes here: [LINK TO HUB POST]