Green Tea Chicken Noodle Soup

Dried shiitake mushrooms add meaty texture and a ton of umami. You can also use rice vermicelli in this recipe.

1 oz (25 g) dried shiitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp (15 mL) green tea or 2 green tea bags
1 in (2.5 cm) piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, outside leaves removed, finely sliced
4 oz (100 g) mung bean noodles
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 cup (250 mL) shelled edamame, frozen
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Cover mushrooms with water and set aside.

In a large pot add 6 cups (1.5 L) of water along with green tea, ginger, and lemongrass. Heat until water is just about to reach a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, soak noodles in warmed water until softened. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles in half.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink inside; remove from heat.

Strain tea infusion into a large saucepan and discard solids. Bring to a boil, add edamame, and gently boil for 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and 1 cup (250 mL) of the mushroom soaking liquid; cook for 2 minutes. Add vermicelli and chicken; simmer for 3 minutes.

Place in serving bowls and garnish with black pepper and cilantro.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 244 calories; 23 g protein; 3 g total fat (0 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 32 g carbohydrates; 2 g fibre; 60 mg sodium

source: "Not Your Average Noodle", alive #335, September 2010