Mixed Mushroom & Chinese Noodle Soup

Brown cap, white button, shiitake, even dried mushrooms are good in this dish. I’ve also made it from a pack of frozen wild mushrooms, because they were cheaper. I like to keep the noodles separate from the soup as they tend to thicken it.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes

COOKING TIME 15 minutes

200g dried soba noodles (buckwheat)

450g mixed mushrooms

180g pak choi

10g reduced-salt vegetable stock cube dissolved in 600ml boiling water

1-2 tsp finely chopped or grated fresh ginger

1 tsp light soy sauce or miso paste

¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder

2 star anise (optional)

1 tsp rapeseed oil

1 onion, finely chopped

80g sugar snap peas

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

½ tsp sesame oil

2 spring onions, cut into matchsticks

a handful of fresh herbs

(coriander leaves or Thai basil and mint leaves)

1 large, mild red chilli, finely sliced on the diagonal

•  Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Keep an eye out as they like to foam up and boil over. Refresh under cold water, drain and set aside.

•  Wipe the mushrooms and slice thinly if using fresh ones, or rehydrate dried ones by covering in a little boiling water (you can add this liquid to the stock for extra flavour later). Remove the core from the pak choi, cut the leaves crossways into four, then wash thoroughly and drain.

•  Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan. Add the ginger, soy sauce or miso, five spice and star anise, if using. Reduce the heat to low and allow to infuse while you carry out the next step.

•  Add the oil to a large, nonstick sauté pan, then add the onion and the mushrooms to cook over a fairly high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until they begin to colour. Add the hot stock to the pan with the mushrooms and bring back to a simmer. Remove the star anise, if using. Stir in the pak choi and sugar snap peas then simmer for a further 3 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

• Remove the pan from the heat. Reheat the noodles briefly and coat in the sesame oil, if using. To serve, place a portion of noodles in a deep bowl and ladle the mushroom soup over. Put the spring onions, herbs and chilli, if using, in a separate bowl and serve alongside the soup.