Chinese Noodle Soup (中式湯麵)

1. Using about a tablespoon of oil, sauté ginger and garlic in a large pot for about two minutes on medium eat. Add onions and continue cooking for another 4 minutes regularly stirring. Add the star anise and stir for an extra 30 seconds. Pour broth into the pot and place lid on, turn to high heat and bring to a boil and then reduce to medium and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet directions.
3. Cut bok choys in half (for small/medium) or quarter (for large). Wash thoroughly.
4. Either cook the bok choi in the broth in the soup broth OR noodle cooking water for 1 min (if noodles required boiling).
5. Pick garlic and ginger out of soup.
6. Place noodles in bowls. Top with shrimp, green onions, and bok choy. Ladle over soup. Great served with chilli paste or fresh chillis.

Recipe Notes

• Chinese cooking wine – If you cannot use alcohol, the best sub is as follows:
  • Reduce soy sauce to 3 tbsp
  • Add 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (this has umami and will add complexity into the broth flavour to compensate for leaving out cooking wine)
• Extra broth flavouring options: chilli, green onion (just fold them)
• Sesame oil – Use toasted (brown colour, more intense sesame flavour), not untoasted (yellow, not common in Australia)
• Noodles – Use any you want, fresh or dried but if using less, use less. Prepare according to packet directions, do not add into the broth (it sucks up lots of the broth)
• Toppings – Cook proteins separately to keep things simple:
  • Shredded cooked chicken
  • Egg is also great. Just whisk it lightly, pour it in and whisk to create egg “ribbons” like in Hot & Sour Soup and Chinese Corn Soup
  • Chinese BBQ pork slices
  • Fried shallot
• Vegetables – Cut and cook in either noodle cooking water (if noodles require cooking) otherwise if the noodles just require soaking, then cook the vegetables in the broth. Put the vegetables that take the longest to cook in first (like broccoli), and delicate ones last (like beansprouts).
• Veggie suggestions – Toppings commonly found on Chinese noodle/wonton soups:
  • Any Chinese veggies (bok choy/buk choi/pak choi, gai lan/Chinese broccoli, choy sum). Cut Bok Choy into half or quarters lengthwise, for other veg, cut into batons about 5cm / 2″ long
  • Carrots – sliced on the diagonal
  • Bean sprouts
  • Green beans
• Other veg:
  • zucchini (sliced)
  • green beans cabbage (thick slice)
  • asparagus, broccoli / broccolini and cauliflower,
  • any other vegetable that can be boiled.
• Nutrition is per serving, assuming 1/4 tsp of sesame oil is used. The nutrition can be substantially enhanced by adding more vegetables!