Recipes
Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup)
Thick, hand-cut strands and gingery broth come together in this traditional recipe that’s also gluten-free.
- Serves
4
- Time
55 minutes
Translating to “wet rice noodles,” the hand-cut ribbons in this Lao chicken and rice noodle soup recipe are made from tapioca starch and two types of rice flour. The dough requires no resting as there’s no gluten in it to tighten up. The traditional dish starts with simmering a whole chicken, but store-bought stock works nicely. The fun part is making the noodles from scratch.
Featured in “That Chewy, Bouncy Texture You Love Has a Name” by Cathy Erway in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 204 here.
Ingredients
For the noodles:
- 3 cups rice flour
- 2¾ cups tapioca starch, plus more for dusting
- 2 Tbsp. mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
- 1 Tbsp. miso
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- Chicken broth, for boiling (optional)
For the soup:
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- One ½-in. piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. mirin
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 7 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 3 Tbsp. rock sugar
- 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ tsp. MSG
- Shredded cooked chicken, chili crisp, sambal oelek, toasted sesame seeds, fried garlic or shallots, and coarsely chopped cilantro and scallions, for garnish (optional)
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the noodles: Bring a kettle of water to a boil, then turn off the heat. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the rice flour, tapioca starch, mochiko, miso, and oil and mix on low until combined. Maintaining low speed, gradually pour in 1 cup of the water and mix until incorporated. Continue adding water (about 1–2 cups more) until a stiff dough forms that is neither sticky nor crumbly.
Step 2
Lightly dust a work surface with tapioca starch. When the dough is cool enough to handle, turn it out and knead until it’s smooth, pliable, and slightly sticky, 1–2 minutes. (If the dough is too dry, add more hot water 1 tablespoon at a time; if it’s too wet, add more tapioca starch.) Roll the dough into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle, then cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide noodles.
Step 3
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water (or chicken broth if desired) to a boil. Boil the noodles until they float and are chewy yet tender, 3–4 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold water and set aside.
Step 4
Make the soup: To a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Add the mirin, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, followed by the fish sauce and soy sauce. Add the chicken broth, rock sugar, bouillon powder, and MSG. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover to keep hot.
Step 5
Divide the noodles among four serving bowls, then top with any combination of chicken, chili crisp, sambal oelek, sesame seeds, fried shallots or garlic, cilantro, and scallions. Ladle the soup over the toppings and noodles and serve hot.
- Make the noodles: Bring a kettle of water to a boil, then turn off the heat. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the rice flour, tapioca starch, mochiko, miso, and oil and mix on low until combined. Maintaining low speed, gradually pour in 1 cup of the water and mix until incorporated. Continue adding water (about 1–2 cups more) until a stiff dough forms that is neither sticky nor crumbly.
- Lightly dust a work surface with tapioca starch. When the dough is cool enough to handle, turn it out and knead until it’s smooth, pliable, and slightly sticky, 1–2 minutes. (If the dough is too dry, add more hot water 1 tablespoon at a time; if it’s too wet, add more tapioca starch.) Roll the dough into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle, then cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide noodles.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water (or chicken broth if desired) to a boil. Boil the noodles until they float and are chewy yet tender, 3–4 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Make the soup: To a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Add the mirin, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, followed by the fish sauce and soy sauce. Add the chicken broth, rock sugar, bouillon powder, and MSG. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover to keep hot.
- Divide the noodles among four serving bowls, then top with any combination of chicken, chili crisp, sambal oelek, sesame seeds, fried shallots or garlic, cilantro, and scallions. Ladle the soup over the toppings and noodles and serve hot.
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