Soba Noodle Soup with Chicken, Tofu, and Bok Choy

An excellent and easy one-pot meal for the frigid nights ahead. [Photograph: Lauren Rothman]

Special equipment: Microplane grater

Ingredients

serves Serves 6 to 8, active time 25 minutes, total time 1 hour

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 inch section fresh ginger, finely minced or grated on a microplane grater (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 inch section fresh lemongrass, cut in half lengthwise and bruised with the back of a knife
• 6 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 whole star anise
• 3 medium chicken thighs
• 7 medium shiitake mushrooms, caps very thinly sliced, stems discarded
• 1 large bok choy, well rinsed, greens and stalks separated, sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 block block extra-firm tofu (about 8 ounces), drained in the fridge on paper towels under a weight (such as a can of beans) for several hours or overnight, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 pound dried soba noodles
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens and light whites
• 1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro leaves

Procedures

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until aromatics are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock, soy sauce, anise, and chicken thighs and increase heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Add shiitakes and sliced bok choy stems to soup and cook for 15 minutes sliced bok choy greens and cook until vegetables and chicken are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove chicken and let cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces with your fingers. Return to soup. Add vinegar, tofu, and noodles to soup and cook until noodles are cooked (see package for cooking time). Season soup to taste with more soy sauce, vinegar, or salt, garnish with scallions and cilantro, and serve.

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Wakame

Ingredients

serves Serves 3 to 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes

• 4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• 9 1/2 ounces dry buckwheat (soba) noodles
• ¾ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons dried green seaweed (wakame)
• 3 1/2 ounces (1 package) enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Lime wedges, for serving
• 5 to 6 scallions, light green parts only, thinly sliced
• Sriracha, for serving

Procedures

1. Heat the stock in a 12-inch skillet until it reaches an active boil. Add the noodles and cook until 2 minutes below cooking time according to the package instructions. Add the shrimp, seaweed, and enoki mushrooms, stirring to combine, until the shrimp have cooked through and the mushrooms and seaweed have softened, about 3 minutes.
   
2. Season with the soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil, stirring to combine. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of the scallions and divide among the serving bowls. Serve with Sriracha to taste.