The concept of “a bowl” sounds very foreign to me. And I mean foreign in the sense of “exotic”. And when I say “exotic”, you should probably read “Asian”. I love the idea of mixing all the different parts of your meal in one bowl, with a bit of shrimp stock to bring everything together in a flavorful way. I guess it could be called fusion food (what with the not-so-Asian shrimp stock.)
I know some people like to have many different little things on their plates, in a Lebanese mezze way, but I’m usually more of a “let’s mix everything together” person. Stir fries, casseroles, gratins… yep, that’s me. The beauty of this bowl is that you can choose which side you’re on. You can even be on both. And since I hate choosing too, I find that pretty convenient. Another good thing here: it’s a soup, but not really. For instance, we’re in late June, and it’s still totally relevant to have this bowl now. You can even choose to eat it at room temperature. It’s fresh, light and healthy.
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Shrimp and noodle bowl
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shrimp stock
- 1 head bok choy
- 1 spring onion (green and white), chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 8 shrimp, peeled
- 3.5 ounces mushrooms (I used Shimeji)
- 7 ounces Udon noodles
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 lime
Directions:
1. In a pot over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until fragrant, then add shrimp stock. Add onion, mushrooms and bok choy. Add salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cook the Udon in boiling water according to package instructions.
4. Drain Udon, add to the pot for a few seconds, stirring, then serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro, then add a splash of lime. Serve warm.
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My tips:
- You can add/substitute pieces of white fish to the recipe.
- If you make this recipe ahead, do not add the cooked noodles until the last minute, or they will be soggy.
Source: Mes meilleures recettes gourmandes – Cuisine exotique.
