Soup season has arrived in our corner of the world, so on Monday I made the most of the chilly by trying out a recipe discovered in the United Airlines inflight magazine last summer. Some of the ingredients in the original recipe were not available at our midwestern grocery store, so substitutions in the version below have an * behind them.
Surprisingly, the ingredient the store did carry rice noodles, the one thing I thought would be impossible to find. They are not to be confused with rice pasta noodles, which are located in the gluten-free section of our store. Rather, these noodles were shelved in the Asian food section. And the package looks like this:
Now on to the recipe which the man of steel and I both agreed was a good choice for a chilly November Monday evening. The recipe didn’t receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval, but I loved it and plan to make it again soon. Cook’s prerogative and all that.
Midwest-Style, Shanghai-Style Noodle Soup
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast* diced into large cubes
4 cups fresh-prepared or low sodium chicken stock
8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 cup sliced, white mushrooms*
2 cups green cabbage* sliced into thin strips
1 cup bean sprouts**
1/2 cup green onions, green and white part chopped
3 miniature sweet red peppers* seeds removed and sliced into rings
White pepper
Soy sauce
Place chicken pieces in medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Soak rice noodles in warm water for 8 minutes and then drain when ready to serve.
Heat sesame oil in soup pot and saute garlic and onion for about a minute. Add the stock and chicken. Simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender, 10 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and cabbage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.
Season with white pepper and soy sauce. (We did this individually at the table.) Portion noodles and soup into bowls. (The recipe said into 4 bowls, but we had at least 6 servings.) Serve warm and garnish with green onions, red pepper, and bean sprouts.
**Couldn’t find fresh so used canned. They were vile, and will be left out next time if fresh aren’t available.
