This week I made Shitake Mushroom Noodle Soup with Peas Three Ways from Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen. The soup turned out to be a delicious mushroom-based soup that was even more flavorful the second day.
Dorothy has introduced her followers to the method of making delicious stock or broth using food scraps and straining them for a flavorful base. Her Shitake Mushroom Noodle Soup with Peas Three Ways recipe begins using sauteed shitake mushrooms, however, I used the fresh crimini available in our local food coop. This recipe included crunchy pea sprouts and scallions. For my soup, I added fresh baby spinach on top of the Soba noodles. Then I poured the hot soup on top. This allowed the spinach to be only lightly cooked and full of nutrients.
In researching the difference between broth and stock, I discovered that traditional stock is made from bones simmered for a long time. The simmered bone adds a gelatin thickening agent. There are other differences, but for making purely vegetarian stock or broth, the vegetarian food blog, Love & Lemons has a helpful layout with detailed directions. The site also has suggestions for selecting the best vegetables to use and storing vegetable scraps for later use.
I can’t believe how much a delicious bowl of fresh vegetable soup can bring comfort during this tumultuous time. Dorothy’s Shitake Mushroom Noodle Soup is perfect. – Carole
Vermont Food Librarian 