Seaweed and Mushroom Broth
The easily available Asian greens include bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kai lan and water spinach. But you don’t have to limit yourself: there is no reason why you shouldn’t use kale or chard, or – and this works brilliantly – wild garlic when it is in season (try this again next year in the spring!). I sometimes like to see how far I can get using just local ingredients, and this has meant greens from the garden, seaweed I have foraged myself and tender green shoots from my ginger plant, which grows happily in the garden.
SERVES 4
- 20 x 15cm kelp or kombu, cut into strips
- A handful of dried mushrooms, such as shiitake
- 5cm piece ginger, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
FOR THE SOUP
- A handful of wakame or other sea vegetable, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 400g mushrooms, a selection, sliced if large
- 1 large bunch of greens – anything you like as long as it is a wilting sort (see introduction)
- 400g cooked noodles, (udon)
- Furikake, for sprinkling
- A few mint leaves, to serve
- A few mitsuba leaves, to serve (optional)
- A few ramps or garlic or Chinese chives, chopped
- First, make the broth. Give the kelp or kombu a wipe with a damp cloth, then put it in a saucepan with the dried mushrooms. Cover with 1 litre water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and leave on the lowest possible setting for 20 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Strain, but do not throw away the seaweed and mushrooms – you can chop them finely and add them back into the soup, or you can save them for another meal.
- Return the stock to the saucepan. Add the wakame and simmer until soft, around 10 minutes.
- In a separate frying pan over a medium heat, while the seaweed is simmering, heat the sesame oil and cook the mushrooms until glossy and tender. Add the greens and garlic chives to the broth and simmer until they have wilted down. Arrange the noodles and mushrooms in bowls, divide up the greens too (easiest done with chopsticks), then pour over the broth. Garnish with the Furikake and the mint, mitsuba leaves and ramps or garlic chives.
READ
Leaf by Catherine Phipps (Quadrille, £25) Photography Mowie Kay
