Ginger, mushroom and star anise noodle soup

Ginger, mushroom and star anise noodle soup

You’ll be surprised by the colossal depth of this soup, fashioned from pantry staples, without the need for a long cooking time. Mushrooms, ginger and scallions are the workhorse flavor-builders here, but the real power in this soup comes from star anise. Star anise is a staple of Chinese and Vietnamese broths and braises, most notably in phố and jook. Here, star anise is the anchor which brings all the other flavors together, providing a mellow sweetness that rounds out the soup. Any noodles would work in this dish, but the delicate mouthfeel of rice vermicelli works well. The spicy topping is optional, but highly recommended – in a classic Chinese preparation, the scallions, ginger and chiles are doused with hot oil, which releases the flavor of the aromatics.

Serves 4
vegan / gluten free

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
• 5cm (2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 scallions (green onions), white parts only, finely sliced (use the green parts for topping, see below)
• 150g (5 oz) cremini/swiss brown or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 star anise pods
• 1.250 litre (5 ¼ US cups) vegetable stock
• 200g (7 oz) rice vermicelli
• 225g (1/2 pound) Asian greens such as yu choy or baby bok choy, halved vertically
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Spicy Scallion Ginger topping (optional)

• 4 scallions (green onions), green parts only, finely sliced
• 2.5cm/1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely julienned
• ½ green chili such as jalapeno or serrano, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger and white parts of the scallions and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat until fragrant and the ginger and scallions have softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly golden. Add star anise and vegetable stock, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and cook according to package instructions, about 3 minutes, until the noodles are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again. Separate into 4 serving bowls.

3. Place the green parts of the scallion, ginger, chili and salt into a heatproof bowl. Place the oil in a small saucepan, and heat over medium until it bubbles, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and very carefully pour the oil over the scallions, ginger and chili.

4. Add the Asian greens to the broth and cook for just 30 seconds until bright green. Season the broth with kosher salt and white pepper; discard the star anise.

5. To serve, ladle hot broth and greens over each bowl of noodles, and finish each with the spicy scallion and ginger topping.

   Tips:

   For even more flavor, make the broth a day ahead, leaving the star anise in the broth (without the greens), and store in the refrigerator. The star anise flavor develops overnight and the broth becomes even more aromatic.

   You can skip the spicy hot oil topping and just finish with fresh sliced red or green chiles.