Sherpa noodle soup (thukpa)

Name: Sherpa noodle soup (thukpa)
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 100g (3½oz) soba noodles, or egg noodles; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; ½ teaspoon hing (asafoetida); 300g (10½oz) free-range chicken breast, finely chopped; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 50g (scant ½ cup) finely chopped carrots; 180g (11⁄3 cups) finely chopped mixed (bell) peppers; 50g (1⁄3 cup) thinly sliced green French beans; 80g (11⁄3 cups) finely shredded white cabbage; 1 teaspoon salt; 800ml (31⁄3 cups) chicken stock; 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped; 1 lemon, quartered, to serve (optional); 1 large garlic clove; 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger; 4 fresh green chillies, roughly chopped; ½ tablespoon cumin seeds, dry roasted; 5 timmur peppercorns, or Sichuan peppercorns; ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped; 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped

This Nepali soup recipe by Santosh Shah is laced with the uplifting warmth of cumin, turmeric and timmur peppercorns.

By Santosh Shah

1 September 2025

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Thukpa is a soup shared by both Nepali and Tibetan Sherpa communities. To handle the freezing winters in high altitude, their diet is heavily based on carbohydrates. The soup is laced with the uplifting warmth of cumin, turmeric and timmur peppercorns. Some cooks add cornflour to thicken the soup but I prefer a thinner broth with my noodles.

This recipe is from ‘Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills and the Himalayas’ by Santosh Shah (DK).

Recipe notes