Chinese Mushroom Soup

Recipe from Mushroom by Lesley Mackley.

Perfect for a rainy day.  The mushrooms and rice noodles make this soup hearty and comforting, while the cilantro and ginger make it taste wonderfully fresh.

What you'll need
2/3 cup Water
1/4 cup Dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups Vegetable or chicken stock
3-cm piece Fresh ginger, grated
2 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
85 g Fresh cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tbsp Soy sauce
70 g Rice vermicelli noodles
3 Scallions, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro

How to
1.  Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat and add the shiitake mushrooms.  Let soak for 10 minutes, then remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, chop coarsely, and set aside.  Strain the mushroom liquid to remove any dirt or grain and pour into a clean pot.

2.  Add the stock to the mushroom liquid and bring to a boil.  Add the ginger, garlic, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms and soy sauce.  (Here I added some snow peas that I had...delicious, but optional).  Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions.  Drain and add to the soup, let simmer for an additional 3 minutes.

4.  Sprinkle the scallions over the soup and garnish with cilantro.  Serve and enjoy!