This recipe for spicy chicken soup is one of my favorite chicken noodle soup recipes. I need to be honest and admit to you that it takes a little bit of time to prep because there are so many vegetables in it but it's well worth it.

This spicy chicken noodle soup brings back so many memories! First of all, I love ordering Mama Mandola’s Sicilian chicken soup at Carrabba's Italian Grill.

I have made this Carrabba's chicken soup recipe for years. I have a funny story about it below. But I did stop making it for a few years. Last December, something reminded me about this recipe so I made it again. I ended up eating it for days after we had to put our beloved dog, Charley, to sleep. I can't even tell you how much it brought me comfort.

I didn't have to cook dinner, I would just defrost the container from the freezer and just eat it. It had starch, protein and vegetables and while I was in the thickest part of my grieving, I was well nourished.

Years ago, when I made this chicken noodle soup for dinner, Curtis, my husband, refused to eat it. I probably shouldn't even tell you this story but we laugh about it now. After I finished making it, I put a lot of it away in the refrigerator and left just enough for the both of us to eat in the soup pot.

If you see other recipes online for this Sicilian chicken soup, they will tell you to cook the soup with the whole chicken in the pot for two hours+. The whole chicken falls apart and that's exactly what happened. Curtis went to make himself a bowl for dinner and in the ladle was a neck bone.

He freaked out and said, I'm not eating this! I was so upset, I had worked so hard on making this dinner. I packed it all up and brought all of the soup into work the next day. Everyone LOVED this chicken noodle soup.

One of my co-workers asked, “can Curtis refuse to eat more of your food so we can get more of your cooking, Julie?” LOL Take it from 18 of my former co-workers, this Sicilian chicken soup tastes good!

By the way, I'll show you how to make this spicy chicken noodle soup and you don't have to cook the entire soup for 2+ hours.

Why chicken noodle soup is the best

Chicken noodle soup is the best because it's pure comfort food. You can't go wrong with chicken noodle soup. Doesn't it bring back childhood memories for you? I love a good bowl of spicy chicken noodle soup any day of the year!

How chicken soup is made

Chicken noodle soup is usually made with a whole chicken. Most chicken soup recipes use a whole chicken and a few different vegetables. You'll want to add the chicken and vegetables to a large soup pot with water. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. I let it simmer for 1.5 hours.

Can chicken soup be frozen?

Yes, I freeze the leftovers and when I'm craving some comfort food like chicken noodle soup, I defrost it in the microwave and then heat it up, add Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

When I freeze soup, I put one or two portions in each container so I only defrost what I need. Be sure to put the name of the recipe and the date (with the year!) on a label on all of your containers so you can easily identify each container. It usually keeps just fine in the freezer for a few months!

Which pasta for chicken soup?

You can use any pasta you like for chicken soup! I love curly egg noodles and even bow ties. For this spicy chicken soup recipe, I love to use the small tube shaped pasta also known as ditalini pasta.

How to make spicy chicken soup at home

How to make spicy chicken noodle soup

First, you do some prep work cutting up vegetables. The vegetables are:  onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers and potatoes. Take the whole chicken and remove the giblets. Add the chicken, vegetables and water to a soup pot. Bring the pot to a boil and then skim the foam from the soup. I use a spoon to do that.

Add the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to the soup. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 hours. You'll want to remove the whole chicken from the spicy chicken noodle soup, I use turkey lifters to remove the chicken easily.

Allow the chicken to cool and then cut it up with a knife. While the soup is cooking, you'll want to use another pot to boil your favorite pasta noodles for the soup.

I'll share the instructions on how to make this Sicilian chicken soup again below with step by step photos:

Chop the onion.

Dice the celery.

Dice the carrots.

Dice the bell peppers. You can totally use red bell peppers if you like them better.

Chop the potatoes into cubes.

Chop the parsley and garlic.

Remove the giblets from the chicken and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Place the whole chicken into a large soup pot.

Add the chopped vegetables: onion, celery, carrots and bell peppers.

Next, the potatoes.

Add the canned tomatoes along with the juices.

Add water to the pot (about 6 to 7 cups) to cover the chicken and vegetables.

Bring the soup pot to a boil on high. Using a spoon, skim off any foam that rises to surface (you’ll need to do this every so often while the soup is cooking).

Add parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper to the soup pot.

Reduce heat to medium low. Allow the soup to cook at a simmer for about 1.5 hours, partially covered with a lid, until the chicken is cooked through. (I usually flip the chicken over in the pot halfway through using big tongs.)

In a separate smaller pot, bring water to a boil and cook the ditalini pasta according to the package instructions.

Drain and set aside.

Remove chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Allow for it to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the pot of soup simmering and add more water (about 2-3 cups), if you want.

Remove the skin from the chicken. Separate meat from the bones. Cut up the chicken using a knife. Set aside.

Using a potato masher, mash some potatoes in pot, this will thicken the broth slightly. Serve the soup with chicken, pasta and parmesan cheese.

I can't even say enough…how luxuriously comforting this soup is. I love the spiciness from the black pepper and the crushed red pepper. (If you have little ones, you can totally omit the crushed red pepper and use less black pepper.) The cut up chicken stays intact and the pasta al dente when I keep the chicken and the pasta separate from the soup if I'm storing the leftovers in the refrigerator.

You have to make this soup!

And I have to mention, today, Curtis eats this soup!

Now tell me, have you made chicken noodle soup before? Are you going to make this recipe for spicy chicken soup?

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Sicilian-Style Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 3 celery diced
• 3 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 green bell peppers cored and diced
• 3 medium baking potatoes such as russet, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the juice
• 1 whole chicken about 4 to 4.5 pounds, giblets removed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 8 garlic cloves chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper optional
• 8 ounces ditalini pasta
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Prep the vegetables: the onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers and potatoes.
• Remove the giblets from the chicken and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Place the whole chicken into a large soup pot.
• Add the chopped vegetables to the soup pot.
• Add water to the pot (about 6 to 7 cups) to cover the chicken and vegetables.
• Bring the soup pot to a boil on high. Using a spoon, skim off any foam that rises to surface (you’ll need to do this every so often while the soup is cooking).
• Add parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper to the soup pot.
• Reduce heat to medium low. Allow the soup to cook at a simmer for about 1.5 hours, partially covered with a lid, until the chicken is cooked through.
• In a separate smaller pot, bring water to a boil and cook the ditalini pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Remove chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Allow for it to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the pot of soup simmering and add more water (about 2-3 cups), if you want.
• Remove the skin from the chicken. Separate meat from the bones. Cut up the chicken using a knife. Set aside.
• Using a potato masher, mash some potatoes in pot, this will thicken the broth slightly.
• Serve the soup with chicken, pasta and parmesan cheese.

Notes

If you’re storing your leftovers in the fridge, I like to save the soup separate from the chicken and the pasta and when I go to reheat it, I add the chicken and pasta to the bowl.

If you’re storing your leftovers in the freezer, add the chicken and the pasta to the soup and then portion into containers. Label the containers with the date and the recipe name. I use the defrost function on my microwave and then heat on 100% power. (Sometimes after defrosting, I will add additional water to the soup before heating on 100%.) Add parmesan cheese and enjoy when you’re craving soup!

Other Chicken Soup Recipes

Homemade Chicken and Noodles 
Chicken Tortilla Soup

Other Soup Recipes

Panera Garden Vegetable Soup
Pork and Shrimp Wonton Soup

Other Whole Chicken Recipes

Crockpot Whole Chicken
Homemade Chicken Stock
Crispy Roasted Garlic Chicken

The post Sicilian-Style Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

You know how much I love cooking in my slow cooker, Crockpot Whole Chicken to Slow Cooker Turkey, I'm so excited to share with you how to cook a turkey breast in a slow cooker today!

There are affiliate links in this post. I get commissions for purchases made through these types of links in this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It's really easy and it's perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday!

Spices for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Vegetables

• salt
• ground black pepper
• ground white pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried thyme
• paprika

I have a quick video for you to watch in this post and I know you'll find it really helpful!

How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

I mix all of the rub ingredients together first and then smash and peel the garlic. Cut up the vegetables and add them to the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth on top.

Quarter the lemon.

Pat the turkey breast dry.

Rub the garlic all over the turkey breast.

Add the rub to the turkey.

And then I add the lemon to the opening in the turkey breast. I always use lemon when roasting a turkey or chicken. It keeps keep the meat moist and tender.

Put the turkey breast in the slow cooker on top of the veggies and chicken broth.

Cook on low for 3.5 to 5 hours. Remove the turkey breast from the slow cooker and place in a baking dish and broil for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.

I use the broth from the slow cooker to make a gravy in a skillet. I know you'll love this!

It's a no fuss way of making a turkey breast in the slow cooker and makes it easy for your holiday get together!

My favorite kitchen tools for this slow cooker turkey breast:

slow cooker
turkey lifters
baking dish (pictured above) or this one

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 3 carrots ends cut off, cut into thirds
• 2 celery stalks ends cut off, cut into thirds
• one 15-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
• 4 to 5 pound turkey breast with the bone-in
• 4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
• 1 lemon quartered

Rub Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Gravy Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

• Add the onion, carrots and celery and broth to the crockpot. Turn on low.
• Mix all of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Rub smashed garlic on the skin. Add spice rub to turkey. Leftover spices put on top of vegetables.
• Add garlic and lemon to the inner cavity of the breast. Place the breast on top of the veggies.
• Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 5 hours, depending on the size of the breast. It should have an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey breast using turkey lifters and place in a roasting pan or baking dish. Place in the oven on the broil setting to crisp up the skin, for about 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully so it won’t burn.

Make the Gravy

• Strain the broth from the slow cooker (mine made about 1 1/3 cups)
• Add 3 tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and melt. Add flour and mix well, allowing the flour to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Slowly add the strained broth and mix, until desired consistency. Allow to simmer and thicken. Add water if needed to thin out the gravy (about 2 to 3 tablespoons).
• Add dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the turkey breast.

More recipes for you to check out!

Crockpot Whole Chicken
Cook a whole turkey in a slow cooker: Crockpot Turkey
Roast Turkey with Wine and Herbs
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
Use your leftovers to make this Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey Stuffed Peppers

The post How to Cook a Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This post is sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus.

What's perfect for summer? A light and fresh cold noodle dish and citrus right? These orange sesame noodles with vegetables fit that bill!

They are light and easy to make! You can use soba noodles or thin spaghetti, whichever you prefer!

I love cooking and baking with Florida orange juice. Did you know it was so easy to cook with? (If you missed out my orange tres leches cake…you need to check it out!)

Prep the veggies.

Boil the noodles and then parboil the veggies.

I like these noodles cold, so refrigerate the noodles and the vegetables.

Mix up the sauce…

then add the Florida orange juice!

Whisk it all together!

Mix the vegetables up with the noodles.

What I love about this dish is that you can make it ahead! If you do make it ahead, don't add the sauce until you're ready to serve.

I can't wait for you to make this…I know you'll love it!!!

Make sure you follow the hashtag #AmazingInside on on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and join in on the conversation! Be sure to follow Florida Orange Juice on Facebook, follow on twitter and on instagram!

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Orange Sesame Noodles with Vegetables Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound soba noodles or thin spaghetti cooked al dente according to package instructions
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced at an angle
• 1 broccoli head cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 red pepper sliced and then cut in thirds
• 1/2 cup snap peas
• 1 garlic clove peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 green onion sliced
• sesame seed to garnish

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Remove pasta with tongs and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Allow it to cool on the counter for a few minutes and then put it in the refrigerator.
• Add broccoli to boiling water and cook for one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse carefully with cold water (to stop the cooking). Add carrots and cook for about four minutes. Remove with a slotted and rinse carefully with cold water. Do the same for the snap peas, cook for just one minute.
• Place the cooked vegetables in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.
• Add minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and sriracha to a small bowl. Whisk together and then add orange juice. Whisk together.
• Take pasta and vegetables and mix together. Add orange sesame sauce and mix together. Garnish with green onions and sesame seed.

Notes

Note: If you’re making it a day ahead, keep the sauce separated from the noodles and veggies until you’re ready to serve!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. I only work with brands that I love and only share with you my own opinions. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Little Kitchen possible.

The post Orange Sesame Noodles with Vegetables appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This crockpot turkey is so easy to put together and what I love most about it is you free up your oven for sides and desserts! You'll love how easy it and tasty is it is to cook a whole turkey in a slow cooker!

There are affiliate links in this post. I get commissions for purchases made through these types of links in this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you're looking to make turkey but want to make something smaller, you can always make my slow cooker turkey breast recipe!

Every year, at a company that I worked at for 8 years, we had a Thanksgiving luncheon. Everyone signed up to bring different things. Since there were so many of us, five to six people signed up for the stuffing, different veggies, the pie, and so on. We even had many turkeys! My former boss, BJ, always cooked his turkey in the slow cooker. He said his mom cooked it that way when he was growing up. The turkey always turned out moist.

I emailed him the other day because this year, we decided to cook our Thanksgiving dinner early- we enjoyed it on Sunday night and I wanted to try my hand at cooking the turkey in the slow cooker. He told me you can leave it in longer than the 6 to 8 hours but it starts to fall apart, which is totally fine! Just make sure the turkey you buy will fit in your slow cooker!

If you're running low on oven space or just want a low maintenance way to cook a turkey- the slow cooker is the way to go! This turkey version is a modified version of my popular crockpot whole chicken recipe that we LOVE to make all the time!

Prep the dry ingredients.

Cut up the vegetables and add them to the crockpot.

Great deal alert! Perdue Farms has a Niman Ranch spiral cut ham that's on sale for 15% off! They give you free shipping for orders $159.99!

Pat the turkey dry.

Fold back the wings and rub the turkey with garlic.

Add the rub to the inside of the turkey and all over it.

Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

All ready to go into the slow cooker.

I put one of the garlic cloves and the rest of the dry ingredients I didn't use on top of the veggies.

Place the turkey on top of the vegetables and cover the crockpot. Cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove the turkey and place on an oven-safe baking dish. Broil the skin in your oven broiler for 4 to 5 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn't burn. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Skim the fat from the broth and save it for another recipe! I'm thinking turkey ramen noodle soup are in order for this week!

Once you carve the turkey, add some broth to the turkey to keep the meat moist.

We loved this and it made it less stressful in the kitchen since I was able to do all of my sides in the oven without them having to compete with the turkey. We'll definitely do this again!

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving and hoping that you have a lot to be thankful for! I know I do! Huge hugs!

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Whole Turkey in a Slow Cooker Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Rub Ingredients for the Turkey:

• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Crockpot:

• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 carrots scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
• 2 celery stalks cut in thirds
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
• 1 whole lemon quartered
• 8 to 9- pound whole turkey fresh, if frozen then defrosted

Instructions

• Combine salt, paprika, onion powder, dried thyme, white pepper, garlic powder and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Prep the vegetables and place inside the slow cooker (I use a 7 quart that's oval shaped but this one is an 8-Quart or this one).
• Remove turkey from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or save for use in another recipe. Optionally, rinse turkey with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Fold back the wings. Rub smashed garlic all over outside of the turkey. Put one garlic in the slow cooker and the rest inside the turkey. Put the rub all over the outside and inside the turkey. Add the quartered lemon to the inside of the turkey. Tie the legs with kitchen twine.
• Place turkey on top of the vegetables, you may need to move the veggies around depending on the size of your slow cooker. Cover slow cooker and cook turkey on low for 6-8 hours. (I used a 9.82-pound turkey, it took about 6 1/2 hours. The time will depend on the size of the turkey and your slow cooker.)
• Remove turkey and place in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes but watch it carefully. It may take less time or a little longer, depending on the temperature of the broiler in your oven, you don’t want to burn your turkey.
• Allow turkey to rest after removing it from the broiler for 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes

Notes: No need to add water to the slow cooker. The turkey creates a broth while cooking.

Pin it for Later

The post Slow Cooker Whole Turkey appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This recipe was originally published on July 27, 2011, I recently updated it along with the photos. We love this recipe and make it all the time during the winter months, I know you'll enjoy it!

I love my slow cooker. Lately, it's been my most favorite appliance because it's so nice to come home with dinner almost ready. On really busy nights and nights I work late, the slow cooker is my friend.

This French onion pot roast recipe is something I have been making for at least a couple of years now. I have adapted the original recipe and changed it up several times but this is how I make it now. My favorite cut of beef for this recipe is a boneless chuck roast that my grocery store calls a California roast. I love adding celery, carrots and onions and even using them as a side dish when serving it.

Add the vegetables to the bottom of your slow cooker.

This is what a California roast looks like. It's flat unlike the chuck roast. I trim some of the fat off from the edges and pat it dry with a paper towel.

Cover the roast in flour, salt and pepper.

Add to a dutch oven on  brown in a pan 2-4 minutes on each side at medium to medium high heat.

I use tongs to stand the roast on its ends to sear the ends too!

Place the roast in the slow cooker and add the french onion soup along with water. After 5 hours on high or 10 hours on low, you'll have a wonderfully moist and tender roast. I like to serve it in chunks and then shred it up on my plate. If you prefer, you can shred up the meat and put back into the slow cooker. I use the sauce from the slow cooker and serve it over the meat as well as my potatoes.

I'm a huge fan of comfort food, can you tell? This is a great dish for an easy Sunday dinner or just a quick weeknight meal and it's not too heavy for a summer dinner.

The original photo from when this post was published in July 2011.

Aren't these plates so lovely? They are from Ree (The Pioneer Woman's new collection). You can buy them here.

We love this recipe…our family and friends do too! I just love being able to have a little bit of prep and dinner is ready in the evening. When I make this French onion pot roast recipe…when Curtis comes home and opens the garage door, he can usually smell it all the way in the garage…he gets so excited!

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French Onion Pot Roast (Slow Cooker Recipe)

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3 celery stalks trimmed & cut into 3-inch pieces
• 4 large carrots washed, ends trimmed & cut into thirds (if really thick, cut in half length-wise)
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 to 4 pound boneless beef chuck roast also known as a California roast
• 3 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• homemade or canned french onion soup if using condensed, use 10.5-ounce can or 3 cups non-condensed

Instructions

• Add carrots, celery and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
• (Optional) Trim any fat on the sides off of the roast and rinse with water.
• Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, add flour mixture to cover the roast. (My roast this time was taller than I usually get it and it was tied for me. You can tie yours with kitchen twine if you want.)
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large dutch oven on medium to medium high heat for  to 4 minutes. Add roast to heated pan and heat to sear for 2 to 4 minutes on each side. (Add more oil if needed and lower heat if necessary.) Use tongs to flip the roast and to hold the roast on its ends and sear for one minute.
• Add the seared beef roast on top of the vegetables. Add french onion soup to the slow cooker. (If using condensed soup, add 1 cup of water to the slow cooker.)
• Cook roast in slow cooker on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 5 hours.
• Serve with vegetables from the slow cooker and mashed potatoes or noodles.

Disclosure: There are a couple of affiliate links in this post.

The post French Onion Pot Roast (Slow Cooker Recipe) appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

When I think of growing up and my favorite Vietnamese dishes, I think of egg rolls and pho (beef noodle soup). I do have my Mom's recipe and I will be sharing that, not sure when yet! But these egg rolls, they are my Mom's recipe for Vietnamese egg rolls. I'm sure somebody will say they are not authentic. But when that's what you grow up with and your Mom is Vietnamese, they are authentic to me!

This past weekend, Curtis and I celebrated 11 years of marriage. We got married on his 30th birthday. This was supposed to be a surprise party for Curtis. But two weeks before the party, he found out about the surprise and was upset. He hates surprises and I thought we were going to have to call the whole thing off!

But then, the same day, Curtis suggested we get married at the party…surprise everyone back with a wedding ceremony. What do you think? I was on board. He kept asking me, are you sure you're okay with this? I was and still am. We scrambled, I found a dress a week before the wedding and even traveled for work that week to Las Vegas for a tradeshow! I shopped for my shoes in Vegas too! Haha

One of our favorite things about our wedding day was that our late dog, Cinder, was there.

She got to enjoy the party. She knew how to open presents! We miss her and it's been almost 6 years since we had to say good bye to her and it took a while to not cry when I thought of her. Now, I smile when I think of her or catch a glimpse of the drawing we have hanging in our family room of her. (She was opening Curtis' birthday present in the picture above.)

My Mom made her Vietnamese egg rolls for our wedding too…so it's only fitting I'm sharing them with you now! There are four components to a Vietnamese egg roll that are very important. Above is taro root. Its consistency is like a potato but it has purple squiggly lines. Sometimes it's hard to find so that's when I have used malanga blanca which is very similar but no purple. The other three components, I'm mentioning below…dried seaweed (as it says on the package below) or dried black fungus, cellophane noodles and the kind of egg roll wrapper you use (it's very important).

The dried seaweed or dried black fungus comes in a bag like this. (Also known as wood ear mushrooms.)

After soaking it in hot water for 30 minutes, it looks like this! It's amazing how much more volume there is! See that knobby looking piece in the center? You want to cut these off before slicing it up.

All sliced up.

Next are cellophane noodles also known as bean thread noodles. They are sold in packages like this but you only need one section of the bag for this recipe.

Soak it in hot water for at least 15 minutes. And then roughly chop it after draining it.

I made this recipe three different ways so you can adjust for diet. Above, I processed chicken breasts and peeled and deveined shrimp. You can do all pork or all shrimp also. And to make it completely vegetarian, you can do a tofu version. I have the ingredients and instructions for each type below!

All of the veggies.

And sometimes you just have to use your hands.

Photo of the filling when it's made with tofu.

I'm here to say the spring roll or egg roll wrappers you find in most grocery stores will not cut it. They are too thick. I buy these at my Asian grocery store and a produce market I go to carries this brand as well. The Spring Home TYJ Spring Roll Pastry is my Mom's favorite brand for egg rolls. They are super thin and are freezer friendly so I usually stock up on these when they are on sale!

Here's my set up when I get ready to wrap and roll…haha like my joke?

I even put together a video as well as did step by step photos on how to wrap a Vietnamese egg roll. (Huge huge thanks goes to my friend, Joanne, for her help in filming this video!)

First place 2 Tablespoons of filling on one corner of one wrapper.

Roll that corner up.

Then fold over the side corners.

And then start rolling, as you are rolling, tuck it in tightly.

Use the egg whites as glue for the egg roll.

All done. But seriously, watch the video, it will help immensely if this is your first time making egg rolls!

I put them on a quarter sheet baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper. This makes it easy to count, to organize and you can put the baking sheet in the freezer to prep for freezing. (Just be sure to layer foil or parchment paper on top so there's only one layer of egg rolls or they will stick to each other.)

Once frozen, you can put them in a zippered plastic bag…to keep them for when the craving or guests arrive. Freeze them separately at first so they don't freeze stuck together.

Before frying, set up your baking sheet with foil, paper towels and I use a cooling rack for the egg rolls. I sometimes use chopstick to remove the egg rolls but tongs are way easier!

We don't deep fry these, we fry them in about a 1/2 inch of oil (canola or vegetable) and they cook up nicely.

Right out of the fryer, be careful and let them cool for a few minutes before biting into one of these. I'm speaking from experience!

You won't be able to have just one. I promise.

Thanks, Mom, for the guidance. I have made these at least 10 times now measuring to make sure I have the measurements correctly because my Mom never measures.

Cut them up with kitchen shears to serve as a small appetizer at your next get together or on top of rice noodles and and with veggies to make a great noodle bowl! These will not disappoint!

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Vietnamese Egg Rolls Recipe (3 Ways!)

Most of us normally see Vietnamese egg rolls made with ground pork. You can make this recipe with ground pork, ground chicken & shrimp, ground shrimp or with tofu to make it vegetarian. All ways are super tasty!

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 48 to 50 egg rolls

Ingredients

• 2.5- ounce bag dried black fungus about 1 1/2 cups (I used half of the bag)
• 1 1/2 cups bean thread or cellophane noodles and roughly chopped
• 2 green onions sliced thin
• 1 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 carrot about 1/2 cup, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 head of cabbage about 1 cup, shredded
• 1 medium taro root or melanga blanca about 1 pound (about 2 cups), cut into large matchsticks
• a couple of dashes granulated sugar
• 2 packages egg roll wrappers I use Spring Home TYJ brand Spring Roll Pastry
• 2 eggs yolks and whites separated
• vegetable or canola oil for cooking

Choose one of the following:

Chicken & Shrimp

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 pound shrimp if frozen, defrosted, peeled and deveined and rinsed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Shrimp Only

• 1/2 pound shrimp if frozen, defrosted, peeled and deveined and rinsed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Tofu

• 1 14-ounce package of firm tofu, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• First thing, (soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes, drained, rinsed and then cut
• and sliced). Soak 1/2 a bag of dried black fungus (dried wood ear mushrooms) in a large bowl with hot water for at least 30 minutes. Soak 1 section of a bag of bean thread noodles for 15 minutes in a hot water.

If you're making tofu egg rolls

• Heat a nonstick skillet with one Tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
• Slice tofu into thin slices and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool and set aside.
• Once they are cool, cut them into strips.
• Prep other vegetables. Removing knobby pieces of the mushrooms and then slice thinly.
• Mix all vegetables together in one large mixing bowl. Use your hands, if needed.

Meat and/or Shrimp Filling

• Pat meat and/or shrimp dry with paper towels. Add meat and/or shrimp to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds at a time until blended and meat is roughly chopped. Don't over process so that it's mushy.
• Split vegetable mixture in half and mix meat in batches. Until it's all mixed together. Add salt and pepper and dashes of sugar. Mix in egg yolks thoroughly.

Wrapping Egg Rolls

• After opening the bag of egg roll wrappers, cover with a wet paper towel (that's been wrung out) to prevent drying out of the wrappers.
• On a clean surface like a cutting board, place one wrapper on the cutting board so it's a diamond. On the corner closest to you, place 2 Tablespoons of filling. Fold up that corner and then fold over the side corners.
• Start rolling up and as you're rolling, tuck the filling side in tightly. Use egg whites as a glue on the inside and outside to seal it closed.

Frying the Egg Rolls

• Line a Cookie sheet with foil and paper towels and top with cooling rack.
• Heat oil (about a 1/2 inch layer) in a nonstick skillet on medium high for 5 minutes. Oil should start to swirl when it's hot.
• Add 6 to 8 egg rolls and cook for 3 minutes (if frozen 5 to 6 minutes) on each side and then an additional 60 to 90 seconds on each side, if needed, until golden brown. (Lower heat to medium if oil gets too hot.)
• Using tongs, remove one egg roll at a time and hold them up lengthwise and allow oil to drain back into the pan.
• Place egg rolls on prepared pan and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tools I use for this recipe:

• KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor  (KitchenAid.com)- I can't live without mine. From grinding meat to making pie dough, I know some think food processors are a pain to clean but they are a must. It only takes seconds to prep food and when I use it to grind raw meat, I stick the cup, the blade and the lid in the top rack of my dishwasher.
• KitchenAid baking sheets – You can never have too many. I love love the quarter sheet size because that's what I use to freeze my dumplings, egg rolls and cookie dough. It fits right into my freezer snugly.
• KitchenAid silicone tipped stainless steel tongs – I have two pairs of these. Love them for cooking. Tongs are a must have in the kitchen!
• OXO Splatter Screen with folding handle – I love love this thing. It's saved me from so many messes. I actually wish I had two of these!
• Wilton cooling grid – I use these to cool my cookies and bars after they come out of the oven but I also use this rack to drain oil from fried things. It's a must have in the kitchen…I broke one of mine (got stuck in a drawer in an odd way) so I only have one now, I need to replace it soon!
• OXO Handheld Julienne Slicer – So cool and so convenient. Don't forget to use the guard on this thing!
• Ingredients: dried black fungus // bean thread or cellophane noodles

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means that I get a small percentage if you make a purchase. Thanks for allowing me to share my favorite recipes with you!

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