Asian Vegetable Soup

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 onions, thinly sliced or 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 stalks bok choy (diagonally sliced, also shred leaves)
• 1 sweet red pepper, julienned
• 1 cup broccoli floret
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup mushroom, sliced
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 ounces buckwheat noodles (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 lb firm tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup watercress leaf
• pea pods, blanched (optional)
• 1 slice scallion, thinly sliced
• celery leaves
• toasted sesame seeds
• lettuce or watercress leaf, finely chopped

Recipe

• 1 place 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock in a dutch oven or 3 1/2 - 5 qt saucepan and bring to a boil.
• 2 add onion, garlic, and gignger; simmer for 3 minutes.
• 3 stir in remaining stock and soy sauce.
• 4 cover pot and bring to a gentle boil.
• 5 add remaining ingredients.
• 6 test for doneness: noodles should be softened; vegetables should remain crisp/tender.
• 7 timing - about 8 minutes.
• 8 top each serving with one of the garnishes.
• 9 variations: - substitute 1 c cooked brown rice for the buckwheat noodles peppers, chopped water chestnut, chopped jicama root, shredded spinach, chopped celery, or bamboo shoots.
• 10 egg threads:.
• 11 in a small skillet, heat a little margarine.
• 12 when it begins to bubble, add 1 egg beaten with a little cold water.
• 13 tilt the pan so the yolk mixture coats it in a thin layer, the thinner the better.
• 14 when the egg is lightly cooked, turn it out onto a cutting board.
• 15 slice it into very thin strips with a sharp knife. (makes about 1/3 cup).