Spring bamboo shoot & chicken buckwheat noodles
Crisp spring bamboo shoots and tender chicken on warm buckwheat noodles, dressed with fragrant tangerine peel and ginger — light, and ready in 25 minutes.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Blanch
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness feels heavy and phlegmy, and Awakening of Insects brings rain and rising humidity. Spring bamboo shoots resolve phlegm and drain water, tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp, and lean chicken with buckwheat keeps lunch light, so you won't feel bloated afterwards.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min- 1Soak the tangerine peel until soft, scrape off the white pith and shred. Trim the tough base of the bamboo shoots and cut into thin strips.
- 2Put the chicken into a pan of boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and leave for 12–15 minutes until no longer pink in the centre. Lift out and shred.
- 3Boil another pan of water and cook the bamboo shoots for 8 minutes until cooked through and no longer bitter, then add the noodles and cook for 4–5 minutes as the packet says. Drain.
- 4Warm the oil over low heat and fry the tangerine peel and ginger for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the soy sauce and vinegar.
- 5Put the noodles, bamboo shoots and chicken in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss, scatter with spring onion and eat warm.
Cautions
- Most buckwheat noodles also contain wheat. If you avoid gluten or are allergic to buckwheat, use rice noodles.
Chef's tips
- No fresh bamboo shoots? Use vacuum-packed cooked ones from the supermarket — shred and blanch for 1 minute.
- Taking it to work? Pack the dressing separately, reheat the noodles and toppings, then toss. Don't eat it cold.
The TCM view
Spring bamboo shoots are sweet and slightly cold, clearing heat, resolving phlegm and draining water; buckwheat is sweet and cool and keeps digestion moving; aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moving qi and drying damp; ginger is pungent and warm. Cooling and warming together clear damp without hurting digestion — a small, light lunch.
