Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 4 spring onions
  • 1 cinnamon stick (broken into pieces)
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 tbsp peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 8 cups vegetable stock (2 liters)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro stems (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
  • 2 oz dried shiitake
  • 7 oz rice noodles (vermicelli, or other style)
  • 3 bok choy (quartered lengthwise)
  • 4 oz mushrooms (mix of enoki and oyster, or substitute shiitake)
  • 2/3 cup shelled edamame
  • 10 snow peas (thinly sliced, lengthways)
  • lime wedges
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (chopped)
  • red chili peppers (sliced)
  • soy sauce, gluten-free variety if needed (to taste)

Instruction

  • If you have a gas cooktop turn on the burner you intend to use for the soup and place the spring onions over the flame. Cook until the spring onions are lightly charred. If you don't have a gas burner cooktop you can skip this step, however I find it adds a lovely subtle charred flavour to the stock.
  • Now place a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves and toast until fragrant. This should take about 30 seconds or so.
  • Add the vegetable stock, spring onion, garlic, ginger, coriander (cilantro) roots and the dried shiitake mushrooms. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl and return to the saucepan and place over the heat.
  • Add the bok choy and cook for 4 minutes. If using a mix of flat rice noodles and vermicelli add the rice noodles first, wait about 1 minute and add the vermicelli.
  • Add the oyster and enoki mushrooms, edamame, and snow peas just before serving. Stir into hot soup and remove from heat. 
  • Use tongs to divide the noodles between serving bowls and then ladle in the stock.
  • Serve with the lime wedges, cilantro mint, chili peppers, and soy sauce.