Asian Mushroom & Noodle Broth

Dumpling heaven at Day In Chinese Supermarket

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot and spicy noodles to stave off any January blues, and when you have been sniffling for half a week this soup is the perfect antidote.

The only thing that can make it even better is the addition of some Vegetable dumplings! While there are some great recipes out there I have been meaning to try,  for now I am content with the lazy frozen version. When you just want comfort I can't put up with such fiddly nonsense. Birmingham has a plethora of Chinese supermarkets both in Chinatown and further a field; these treasure troves of weird and wonderful culinary delights mean I am constantly stocked up with Asian treats, but more importantly, with dumplings! This is a great quick and simple warmer that works with or without the dumplings. 

Serves: 4

You will need the following:

Mushroom Broth:

2 inch piece of Ginger, peeled and sliced

1 Red Chilli, sliced and deseeded

1 clove of Garlic sliced

2 tablespoons of Shaoxing Rice Wine

1 tablespoon of Dark Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon of Black Rice Vinegar

600ml Vegetable Stock

40g Dried Mushrooms such as Oyster, or Shittake

Mixture of prepared Vegetables such as: Carrot, Beansprout, Cabbage, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Bamboo Shoot, Baby Sweetcorn, Chinese Leaf, Mushrooms

200g Fresh Noodles

Garnish:

Tablespoon of chopped Coriander

2 grated radish

1 Spring Onion finely sliced

Chilli Oil

Method:

1. Rehydrate mushrooms in 125ml of boiling water for 30 minutes

2. Drain mushrooms through fine sieve removing any grit and retaining liquid

3. Heat sunflower oil in wok and add ginger, garlic, chilli. Fry for 3 minutes to soften

4. Add chopped vegetables and the hydrated mushrooms stir frying for 2 minutes

5. Add vegetable stock, reserved mushroom liquid, soy sauces, rice wine, and rice vinegar

6. Bring to the boil

7. Season to taste

8. Add noodles, reducing the heat

9. Serve and garnish with coriander, grated radish, and spring onion. If using dumplings, just cook according to the package instructions and add to your bowl upon serving