Soups are an ideal way to warm up with on a cold day. A simple Asian-spiced broth can be customized with rice noodles, vegetables and protein to make a healthy and filling meal.
What are Rice Noodles?
Rice noodles are made with rice and water and are usually sold dried. They are used in popular Asian dishes such as pad thai and pho (a Vietnamese soup). Because they don’t contain wheat, they are an excellent alternative for people who cannot eat gluten. Rice noodles come in different shapes and sizes including wide flat noodles that resemble fettuccine, narrower flat noodles and thin vermicelli strands. They can be found in Asian markets and most supermarkets in the rice and pasta section.
Rice Noodle Soup with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Soup Base:
- 8 cups beef or vegetable stock, preferably sodium-reduced
- 1 piece of peeled fresh ginger, about 1” in diameter and 1” long
- 1 small onion, cut into very thin rings
- 1 clove garlic, cut into thin slivers
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons shao hsing rice wine (aka shaoxing wine or Chinese rice wine – substitute gin or dry sherry if unavailable)
- 3 Tablespoons sodium-reduced soy sauce
- ¾ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 6 sliced green onions – white and light green parts only (save the green tops for garnish)
Additions: (see below for further suggestions)
- 12 oz. (340 g) medium or wide dry rice noodles
- 4 oz. (113 g) – about 12 medium – shiitake mushrooms sliced about ½” thick
- 5 heads of baby bok choy, roots trimmed and leaves separated
- To make the soup base: In a large stock pot or enameled cast iron pot, add the stock, ginger, sliced onion, garlic slivers, sugar, shao hsing wine, soy sauce, five spice powder and sesame oil.
- Bring the soup base to a simmer on medium high heat. Reduce to medium and gently simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add the green onion slices. Drop the uncooked rice noodles into the broth and stir to ensure they separate. Add the mushrooms and bok choy (the bok choy may look like too much but it will cook down).
- Cover and let the soup simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test to see if the noodles are tender. If they are not fully cooked, continue to simmer, testing them in one-minute increments until they are done. Be careful not to overcook them.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the piece of ginger from the soup before serving. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with sliced green onion tops, a drizzle of sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce and sriracha sauce, if desired.
- Slice a steak into very thin slices (freezing it for about 30 minutes will make slicing easy). Lay the beef strips in the bottom of the bowl and ladle steaming hot soup over them – the broth will cook the beef.
- Use chicken or vegetable stock and add cooked slices of Chinese bbq pork
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and add sliced carrots, celery, snow peas, bean sprouts, bok choy and cubed tofu
- Use chicken or vegetable stock and add shelled raw shrimp and enoki mushrooms. Cook until the shrimp turn pink.
- For a fresh flavour, top with: torn fresh mint, fresh cilantro and/or fresh Thai basil
Trish Coleman - Trish grew up in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada and her family ate fresh home cooked meals every night. Her family grew most of ...
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