Ramen Noodle Soup with Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage

Ramen noodles are now readily available, even without the ready-made soup mix, in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets. They are an appealing addition to simple soups.

Serves: 4 to 6

• 1 5-ounce package curly ramen noodles
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine or water
• 8 ounces bok choy or napa cabbage, with leaves,
  cut into bite-sized shreds
• 4 cups strong vegetable stock, or 4 cups water
  with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 2 15-ounce
  cans vegetable broth
• 4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons natural soy sauce, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Cook the noodles in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain and divide among 4 or 6 individual serving bowls.

Meanwhile, heat the oil slowly with the wine in a soup pot or steep-sided stir-fry pan. Add the boy choy, turn the heat up to medium-high, and stir-fry until tender-crisp. Add the vegetable stock, scallions, and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with pepper and remove from the heat.

Ladle the broth over the noodles in the bowls, then sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top of each serving if desired. The noodles are long, so this soup can be served with a combination of chopsticks for the noodles and a soup spoon for the broth; or, those who wish to may cut their noodles into shorter lengths and eat them together with the broth.

• Explore more of VegKitchen’s recipes for Cabbages and Lettuces – Beyond Salads!
• Here are more easy Asian-style noodle soup recipes.