Coconut Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup (One Pot One Portion)
I think this might be the perfect one-pot January recipe because, as we near the end of the month in which we’re told to kick-start the new year with drive and energy, I feel the need to gently remind you — and myself — that we are still very much in the middle of winter. And winter is a time for hibernation. You might be wondering how this links back to a coconut ginger chicken noodle soup, and it’s because this soup is subtle in its freshness. Where I often reach for punchy flavours in a broth like this, here I’ve opted for a gentle hum of alliums, ginger and sesame, wrapped up in a light but warming coconut broth. It’s fresh flavours for a fresh year, but in a calm, restorative way — the kind of meal that feels quietly nourishing rather than demanding. This is a bowl to eat slowly, ideally with cold hands wrapped around something warm, reminding you that rest is productive too.
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This coconut ginger chicken noodle soup is a gentle, warming one-pot meal designed for calm, restorative winter cooking. Made in a single pan, it combines soft aromatics, light coconut milk and tender chicken in a subtly flavoured broth. This recipe serves one generous portion and is intentionally small-batch to suit solo cooks. The flavour profile is fresh yet soothing, with ginger, sesame and lime providing balance rather than punch. It’s practical for cooking for one because it’s quick, low-effort, and deeply nourishing without feeling heavy.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve
This recipe is designed specifically for one portion, meaning no leftovers, no waste, and no need to scale anything up or down. Every ingredient amount is intentional, making it ideal for solo cooking.
Quick & Easy
With minimal prep and a short, gentle cooking time, this soup comes together in under 30 minutes. The method is simple and forgiving, perfect for evenings when you want something comforting without too much effort.
One Pot Cooking
Everything is made in one pan (aside from optionally boiling the noodles), keeping washing up to a minimum. The broth gently builds flavour without complicated steps or techniques.
Calm Winter Comfort
This is a January-style comfort food — light but warming, fresh without being sharp, and restorative rather than rich. Ideal for cold days when you want nourishment that feels kind.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Coconut Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup
- Keep the heat low once the coconut milk is added to prevent splitting
- Slice the chicken very thinly so it poaches quickly and stays tender
- Grinding the aromatics into a paste gives a smoother, more cohesive broth
- Don’t let the soup boil once the chicken is in — gentle simmering is key
- Rinsing fresh noodles removes excess starch and keeps the broth silky
- Add fish sauce gradually; a little goes a long way in a delicate broth
- Finish with lime at the end to keep the flavour bright and fresh
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
- Sesame oil – adds warmth and nutty depth
- Garlic – provides gentle savouriness
- Fresh ginger – warming, aromatic backbone
- Spring onions – soft allium flavour with freshness at the end
- Coconut milk – light creaminess without heaviness
- Water – forms the base of the broth
- Chicken breast – lean protein that stays tender when poached
- Noodles – comforting and filling
- Fish sauce – subtle umami seasoning
- Lime juice – brightness and balance
- Salt – to taste
To Serve (Optional)
- Fresh coriander
- Extra sesame oil
- Sliced green spring onion tops
Essential Tools
- Medium saucepan or sauté pan
- Knife and chopping board
- Pestle and mortar (or grater)
- Spoon or spatula
Dietary Variations
Gluten-Free
Use rice noodles and ensure your fish sauce is gluten-free.
Dairy-Free
This recipe is naturally dairy-free.
Adding Protein
Swap chicken for prawns, tofu, or shredded leftover roast chicken.
Different Vegetables / Flavours
Add mushrooms for depth, spinach at the end for freshness, or a pinch of chilli flakes if you want gentle heat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I make this soup ahead of time when cooking for one?
A: It’s best eaten fresh, but you can prepare the broth in advance and cook the noodles and chicken just before serving.
Q: What’s the best pan size for this one-pot soup?
A: A medium saucepan (around 18–20cm) is ideal to keep the broth deep enough for gentle poaching.
Q: Can I use dried noodles instead of fresh?
A: Yes — dried noodles work well. Either cook them separately or add directly to the soup and simmer until tender.
Q: How do I stop the chicken from becoming tough?
A: Keep the heat low and never let the soup boil once the chicken is added.
Q: Can I make this vegetarian?
A: Yes — replace chicken with tofu and use vegetable stock instead of water for extra depth.
Ingredients
Sesame Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled
5g Fresh Ginger, peeled
2 Spring Onions
100ml Coconut Milk
200ml Water
1 Chicken Breast, sliced into very thin strips
1 Portion of Noodles
Fish Sauce
1/2 Lime
Fresh Coriander, to serve
Instructions
- Add the garlic, fresh ginger and the white half of the spring onions to a pestle and mortar and grind until you have a paste. Alternatively, grate or finely chop.
- Add a little sesame oil to a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, ginger, spring onion paste. Let that fry for around 3 minutes until fragrant then add in the coconut milk and water.
- Stir and bring that to a gentle simmer then turn the heat to low and add in the chicken breast. Let that simmer and poach for around 5 minutes, making sure the soup doesn’t boil at any point as this will make the chicken tough.
- If using fresh noodles, boil them in a separate pan for 3 minutes then drain and rinse under cold water to remove the starch. If using dry noodles, you can add them straight to the soup or boil them separately and cook until done.
- Once both the chicken and noodles are cooked season the soup with a dash of fish sauce, the juice of 1/2 a lime and salt, to taste.
- Place the noodles in a bowl and spoon the hot broth over. Top with chopped fresh coriander, the green end of the spring onion, finely sliced, and a final drizzle of sesame oil.
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Meal Plans & More...
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Ginger Chicken Rice Bowl
Usually I would consider a brothy meal that you eat with a bowl and a spoon a form of comfort food, however, the flavours in this dish are so fresh and vibrant that it has to go in this chapter. I love the fiery freshness of ginger and it’s the predominant flavour in this rich chicken broth. The finished dish isn’t a soup as such, but there is just enough broth to make every mouthful deliciously juicy. It also takes minimal time to make so it’s a useful recipe to have on hand for days when you’re short of time.
Curried Chicken Skewers with Satay Slaw
I have an affinity for crunchy slaws, as I think they provide more interest, more texture and are more filling than many other salads. However, I’m not partial to excessive quantities of mayonnaise. Here I opt for coconut milk instead, which delivers the same creaminess in a less monotonous way. The fresh coriander and bite of roasted peanuts keep this slaw lively and interesting and are perfect with the lightly charred curried chicken skewers. This would also be great sandwiched between a burger bun, or on a soft flatbread.
Creamy Green Linguine
In a way, this linguine changed my life. It was the first recipe in the series to take off on social media, bringing new people and new opportunities into my life. It’s an exceptionally simple recipe that uses the same water to cook both the pasta and the vegetables, which you then use to create a velvety, carbonara-esque sauce with the cheese and egg. I’ve retested this and tweaked it since its original conception and, though I can’t promise it will change your life, I can promise it will be delicious.
Vegetable Pancake with a Chilli Crisp Egg
This vegetable pancake has its origin in Korea (where they’re known as yachaejeon) and is the perfect dish to use up odds and ends of any vegetables you have lying around. Cabbage, spring onions, carrots and courgettes work really well and provide a nice balance of moisture and crunch, but peppers, potatoes, mushrooms or leafy greens are good alternatives. Depending on the vegetables you use, you may need more or less water to make the light batter so adjust as necessary.
Prawn & Mango Salad
The perfect fresh, but still flavourful, summer salad! This is a beautiful fragrant salad with a creamy, zingy coconut milk dressing. With just a little bit of chopping and a minute of whisking, you’ve got a gorgeous summer lunch, perfect for working from home, taking lunch to the office or a sunny meal in the garden this weekend.
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I buy a lot of cook books and this is genuinely one of the best l've ever bought. I've tried 6 or 7 recipes so far and they're all winners. I'm well used to scaling recipes down to one portion, but not having to calculate measurements as l go along feels like a little luxury. One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up! Highly recommended.
I have been following Eleanor on IG for a while and have made several of her dishes before the cookbook came out. I was thrilled to see so many new things to try and have already made about 6 of them. Her recipes are approachable, the dishes are delicious, and they make me feel like I can cook! Highly recommend.
If you love eating good home cooked food but can't be bothered to cook just for yourself, then this is the book for you. Using ingredients that are easy to find, then mixing, cooking and eating from the same pan or dish means a minimum of washing up. Every recipe I have tried so far has been delicious and have all turned out well which isn't always the case with many cookery books. Definitely recommend!
Following Eleanor on Instagram and seeing her recipes come to life is one thing but then having them in my own kitchen is quite another. Not only are the recipes easy to follow and delicious she also help you not to waste food. This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?
Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
It's so nice to finally have a recipe book that I can go to if I want a quick easy meal with minimal cleaning up required! Everything l've tried so far is delicious. And I salivate at the thought of everything in there!
Totally reignited my cooking mojo which had been MIA for a while. I'm going to buy my daughter a copy to take back to Uni too as everything is simple and delicious - perfect for a student!
Best cookbook for somebody single!
The fact I know I won't have loads to wash up really feels motivating and l've earmarked so many of the recipes already.
This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?