1-Gathering and Prepping Ingredients: First, get all your items ready by slicing the vegetables, smashing the garlic, and slicing the ginger. This prep work makes cooking smooth and enjoyable, setting you up for success. Once everything is lined up, you’re ready to start.

2-Cooking the Soup: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or chicken fat over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until the bottom turns a light golden color, then flip to cook the other side.

3-Cooking the Soup: Next, toss in the smashed garlic, sliced ginger, halved green onions, cumin seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns or black peppercorns. Let them cook until fragrant, which takes about 1-2 minutes, filling your kitchen with wonderful smells.

4-Cooking the Soup: Pour in 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine or dry sherry and cook for 1 minute to let it reduce. Then, add 6 cups of chicken broth, the cilantro stems and leaves, and 1 bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes to develop the flavors.

5-Cooking the Soup: While the soup simmers, cook 150 grams of dried noodles separately according to the package instructions. This keeps them from soaking up too much broth and getting mushy.

6-Cooking the Soup: After simmering, remove the chicken, discard the skin, and shred the meat. Strain the broth to remove the solids, then return the broth to the pot. Stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.

7-Cooking the Soup: Bring the broth back to a boil and add the sliced carrot; cook for 3 minutes. Then, add the baby bok choy cut lengthwise and cook for 1 minute or until it’s as tender as you like.

8-Cooking the Soup: Finally, put the shredded chicken back into the broth to warm through. Serve the broth in bowls with the noodles, topped with the vegetables, chicken, and chopped fresh cilantro for a fresh finish.