Asian Vegetable Soup with Noodles

By TPMay

Ingredients

• For the Noodles:
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 6 scallions including green tops, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 - cup soy sauce
• 1/4-teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 3 1/2-cups water
• 3 1/2-cups canned low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4-pound napa cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 3/4-teaspoon salt
• 1 small head bok choy (about 3/4-pound), stalks halved lengthwise, shredded
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2-pound vermicelli
• 1 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, water, and broth and bring to a boil.
Add the carrots to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and salt and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add the bok choy and lemon zest and simmer until the bok choy starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
For the Noodles: Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the vermicelli until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the sesame oil. Put some noodles in each of four bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles.
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Serves 4