While I love soups, I typically never make them for dinner. I usually relegate making soups on the weekend and having them for lunch during the week. In an effort to change up our dinners, I decided to make Spicy Noodle Hot Pot from The Fresh & Green Table. I thought it would be cozy on a cold night. And, it didn’t involve chicken. Chicken and I need a little break right now.

This soup has quite a few ingredients, but it is not as daunting as one might think. I made it tonight for dinner after a long day at work and while answering several thousand questions from my three year old. Dinnertime is my personal, nightly press conference. You suffer if you don’t bring your A-game when answering the questions.

Back to the soup. I loved this soup! The broth is the star. It’s light and fresh, with just a little bit of citrus. The noodles and vegetables (especially the shitake mushrooms) leave you satisfied without feeling heavy. It is perfect for a cold, winter’s night.

My children liked the noodles, but they were not interested in the vegetables or broth. If you have kids that aren’t fans of spicy food, I recommend halving the amount of the Asian chili-garlic sauce. At least that was the  suggestion I received from my oldest. Duly noted!

Spicy Noodle Hot Pot (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt
• 6 oz Chinese egg noodles, torn into slightly shorter pieces (you can use linguine too)
• 1/2 tsp Asian sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp peanut or vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp
• one 3 1/2 ounce package of shitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 lb bok choy (both leaves and stalks), cored, washed thoroughly and then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp Asian chili-garlic sauce (less if you don’t want it spicy)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 to 4 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

STEPS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender. Drain in a colander, rinse briefly, and let dry a bit. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the sesame oil.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tsp peanut oil over medium-low heat. Add the shitake mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until tender and just starting to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
4. In a large Dutch oven or other soup pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp peanut oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring just until the shallots have softened and many are browning, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the bok choy and 1/2 tsp salt and stir until all the leaves have wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and chili-garlic sauce and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the cooked shitake mushrooms, the chicken broth and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the soy-lime mixture.
7. Divide the noodles evenly among the bowls. Using tongs, divide the greens evenly, placing them over the noodles and then ladle equal amounts of the remaining broth and soup contents. Garnish with peanuts and serve immediately with a fork and a spoon.