Monday, November 17, 2008

Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea and Baby Bok Choy Soup



Have I been in a bit of a soup-obsessed mood lately?... maybe. Or maybe it's just that when it's getting bitterly cold, the only way to fight back is to get in the kitchen and make a great big batch of soup! I was in the mood for something light, easy and heart-warming. I think this pretty much did the trick: a couple ladlefuls of chicken broth, a myriad of greens and some shrimp all simmering in the cradle of a wok. 10 minutes later... voila. Lunch is served my friends!

Of course, in a more perfect world, I might have taken the time to enrich my stock with added chicken bones and aromatics. I might have added some chicken or sliced pork too. But as time was of the essence, I came up with this easy enough concoction and the result was quick and perfect.

Recipe (for 4)
4 baby bok choy
12 sugar snap peas
12 shrimp, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of peanut (or canola) oil
A pinch of dried chillies
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
2 spring onions, sliced
4 cups of chicken stock
Toasted sesame seeds
300 grams of dried udon noodles


Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Run them under cold water once cooked, and reserve.

In the meantime, add the bok choy (cut in half lengthwise) and the sugar snap peas to a pot of boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes. Shock the vegetables by placing them in ice cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps the vegetables maintain a nice green color. Once the vegetables are cold, drain and remove excess water with paper towels.

Heat your wok to medium low heat. Add the peanut oil, ginger, garlic and dried chili. Stirfry for 2 minutes. Add the peeled shrimp. Once the shrimp starts to turn pink, add the vegetables stirring constantly. Once the shrimp is entirely pink in color add the noodles. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once the broth has come to a boil, add the soy sauce, sesame oil and spring onions and cook for another minute. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!



17 comments:

Anonymous said...

yum...this is looks so simple and satisfying. nice photo!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes the simplest concoctions are the best, especially when prepared with the shared love of good friends in mind (or, at heart, to be precise).

Your photograph invokes a warm, summery vision... Perfect for a cold wintry day... :)

Mari said...

It's not quite bitterly cold here yet, but I cold enough that soup is still deeply satisfying. I'm looking forward to making this one at home!

Just Cook It said...

Looks so fresh and tasty

Maria said...

What a lovely looking soup! I love the shrimp and veggie combo!

Cakebrain said...

I envy you your collection of gorgeous bowls! This one totally shows off the vivid veggie colours. I love soup too! It's comforting and low-cal (when I've indulged too much in my baking!)

Darius T. Williams said...

Looks like another home run to me!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

QlinArt said...

mmh - looks perfect for the flu which I've been trying to fight off past few days. Beautiful photo.

Anonymous said...

MMmmm yum! Looks simple and delicious. Love the shrimp/bokchoy color contrast.

Anonymous said...

It's hard not to be soup obsessed at this time of year. It's such a perfect thing to be eating. I love the vivid colors of that soup -- it looks so healthy not to mention delicious.

Anonymous said...

That looks so delish! I love soup! Great photo! :)

Deborah said...

We've had unusually warm weather, so I've been waiting a bit until it cools off to make soup. But this looks delicious - I want some for dinner tonight!

Unknown said...

complimneti per il tuo blog e per questa ricetta!!! molto interessante
ciao vale

test it comm said...

That soup looks fresh and good!

test it comm said...

That soup looks fresh and good!

Mari said...

Might I ask what aromatics you might have chosen to enrich this recipe?

Chocolate Shavings said...

Mari: If you have more time to enrich your stock you can use thyme, bay leaves, black perppercorns... and you can also add some carrots, onions and celery to make the stock more flavorful. Let me know if you try making the soup!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin