This soup is incredibly satisfying while still being good for you. To make it, I thinly sliced some garlic, chili pepper, red pepper and shitake mushroom, and trimmed the ends off of a bunch of snap peas. I then put a pot of vegetable stock on a burner to heat. Once the stock had started to boil I added the vegetables as well as some spinach noodles, more on those later. While everything was cooking away I shredded some Chinese cabbage and set it aside. Once the noodles were cooked (about 4-5 minutes) I scooped out the noodles and vegetables, using a slotted spoon, and put them into a bowl. I then topped it off with the shredded cabbage and poured some hot stock over the whole thing. Since the noodles and vegetables only cook for a short time they don't get too soft, and adding the cabbage right at the end makes sure that it stays nice and crunchy while you eat.
As for the noodles, they are something really special in my opinion. While living in Singapore a couple years ago I came across somthing called
"White Jade Noodles" that are a simple, light, noodle made from white flour. They were my absolute favourite addition to quick soups and the occasional stir fry, being more soft and tender than a rice noodle but without the fried taste of most Chinese noodles. And then I came back to Canada and couldn't find anything like them anywhere, and trust me, I have been looking. Then a couple days agon I stumbled upon some spinach noodles in a local grocery store that looked startlingly similar to white jade noodles. Upon reading the ingredients I found that they were almost the same, save for the addition of spinach, and snatched them up on the spot. As hoped, the noodles cooked up just the same as I remembered and I will be making a trip to the store, soon, to stock up on these in case they become scarce.
*These noodles even come pre-devided into individual serving sizes!
Ingredients:
