Brothy Soup with Shrimp and Bok Choy is one of Ron’s favorite soups. Mine too. This soup is brothy and light, yet the textures and flavors are so satisfying – the soft and silky rice noodles, the meatiness of the shiitakes and the shrimp, the heat of the pepper flakes, the earthiness of the fish sauce and the sesame oil, the freshness of the herbs. We call it health soup.
This recipe calls for water rather than a broth or a stock. I’ve tried it with chicken stock, but the stock muddies the other flavors and adds unnecessary calories. So don’t change a thing. This Brothy Soup with Shrimp and Bok Choy is just right.
Brothy Soup with Shrimp and Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 4 scallions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb fresh ginger
- 8 heads baby bok choy
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 8 cups of water
- ⅓ cup miso paste
- ⅓ cup tamari
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- ½ t red pepper flakes
- 1 stare anise pod
- 1 T honey
- 2 bundles of rice noodles
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 1 pound shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
- fresh mint and cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prep mushrooms and veg – Brush any dirt off of the mushrooms; remove the stems and slice the caps. Clean and trim the scallions, Slice the whites of the scallions; cut the scallion greens on the bias and set aside. Thinly slice the garlic. Trim and mince the ginger. Trim and wash the bok choy, slicing any larger ones vertically so that the leaves mostly stay intact. Slice the tofu into 1" cubes.
- Build the broth – Add the mushrooms to your soup pot with a pinch of salt. Stir, then cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have expelled their moisture. Add 8 cups of water and ⅓ cup miso paste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the cubed tofu, ⅓ cup tamari, ¼ cup sesame oil, sliced garlic, scallion whites, ½ t red pepper flakes, star anise pod, and 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Add the noodles and bok choy – Add the noodles and the bok choy to the broth and cook on a high simmer until the noodles are very soft and fully hydrated, about 10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, chop the cilantro and mint leaves.
- Finish off of the heat – Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in ¼ cup of fish sauce and the shrimp, then cover the pot. The shrimp will poach gently in the hot broth. Allow the soup to cool a bit. Fish out the star anise pod and garnish with the scallion greens and fresh herbs, then serve.
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