Miso, Shiitake Soup with Prawns and Somen Noodles

, from Issue #25. October, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Miso, Shiitake Soup with Prawns and Somen Noodles

This is a light but nourishing soup that can be made in a flash. Keep the essentials in your pantry, the free-flow prawns in the freezer and a meal is always at hand.

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

40 grams thinly sliced, dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups fish stock (Tetra Pak stock is suitable)
3 cups water
3 tablespoons dried dashi granules
100 grams white miso paste
150 grams dried somen noodles
250 grams raw, peeled prawns
1 bunch bok choy, leaves separated
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup coriander

METHOD

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 ½ cups of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Put the stock, the 3 cups of water and the dashi granules in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Whisk in the miso paste then add the shitake mushrooms, their soaking water and the noodles. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the prawns and bok choy and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the prawns are just cooked and the bok choy is wilted.

To serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and divide the noodles and prawns between serves. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander.

Dried, sliced shiitake mushrooms, dashi granules, white miso paste, somen noodles and frozen raw prawns can all be purchased from Asian and specialty food stores and good supermarkets.