Chilli & ginger noodle soup

This soup means you can have dinner on the table in around twenty minutes rather than leaving it to simmer for hours! The broth base is flavoured with sesame, ginger, spring onions, chilli and lime and then filled with lots of veggies and buckwheat noodles before being topped with fresh coriander. A perfect cosy, comforting supper that will warm and rejuvenate you.

Credit: Hachette Australia / Clare Winfield

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 portions of buckwheat noodles, or even zucchini noodles (see Note)
• 25 g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• generous thumb of root ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 red chillies, finely sliced
• 2 spring onions, each chopped into 4
• 2 tbsp brown miso paste
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 100 g baby corn
• 250 g bok choy, thinly sliced
• 120 g bean sprouts
• 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
• handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve

Soaking time: 20 minutes

Instructions

Prepare the noodles, if using, according to the packet instructions, then place in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Put the dried shiitake in a bowl, pour over 500 ml of boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes. 

Heat the sesame oil in a wok, or large sauté pan, then add the ginger, garlic, chillies and spring onions, and cook for a minute or so, stirring to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Splash in a little water and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the miso and tamari and 500ml more boiling water. Let this broth bubble away until the mushrooms are ready, then add them too, with their soaking water (except the dregs, as they may contain grit). Return to a nice simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the corn and bok choi, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the beansprouts and carrots.

Divide the noodles between 4 bowls, then spoon the broth on top. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime juice, then serve with lime wedges.

Note

•  Two servings is about 150g, but you can use more or less noodles, depending on how hungry you are. You could use “courgetti” instead – use a spiraliser to create noodles from zucchini (courgettes).

Recipe from Deliciously Ella With Friends by Ella Mills (Hachette Australia, $29.99).  

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.