Asian vegetable soup
Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1" piece of ginger, finely chopped (no need to peel!)
1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake and oyster)
4 small shallots, peeled and sliced
2 clumps of baby bok choy, sliced and rinsed (separate lower parts from upper, leafy parts)
1 cup cooked chicken if desired
2 cups broth (I used homemade chicken)
1/2 can coconut milk
1 Tbspn olive oil
2 oz. pasta of your choice (I used Japanese udon)
salt to taste
Directions:
If using a type of pasta which needs more than just a few minutes of cooking, prepare it in a separate pot while you make the rest of the soup.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic in the oil for about a minute, then add the ginger and cook it for the same amount of time. Push both to the perimeter of the pan, add a smidge of oil if necessary, then cook the onions until they're soft. Again, push the onions to the perimeter; add the mushrooms, cooking until they're soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for about a minute. Add the carrots and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, 5-7 minutes, adding the bottom parts of the bok choy in the last 2 minutes. Add the chicken if using, then stir in coconut milk and either precooked pasta or uncooked (Udon only take four minutes to cook, so I add them raw at the end). Taste, and add salt if desired.
Yield: 3-4 servings