Asparagus & Shiitake Noodle Soup with Shrimp

Asparagus & Shiitake Noodle Soup with Shrimp

As the season slips from autumn to winter and the nights get shorter and cooler, my boys and I love a warm bowl of nourishing soup that we can enjoy out on the deck watching the sun as it sets. It won’t be too long before we can light a fire, and enjoy our soup with blankets wrapped around our shoulders listening to the crackling of the burning wood and watching the flames light the cold night air.

With three boys to cook “with” and seven nights each week, it is a challenge is to find something they all like. Sometimes you need to be inventive, and a nourishing soup like this one that is not too heavy and is full of goodness works. This soup combines a little spice and heat from the green curry paste and cilantro, sweetness from the coconut milk with texture from the noodles, shrimp and asparagus. Altogether, you have an easy to prepare dish that tastes great, looks fabulous, and satisfies the whole family.

You may not have thought about the nutritional content of mushrooms before, but mushrooms like Shiitake are the perfect source for eight of the essential amino acids your body needs for growth and repair. As a source of amino acids, they are actually better for you than eating eggs, milk, meat or even soy. They include a plentiful array of vitamins A, B, C, and D. Shiitake mushrooms make a fantastic meat substitute for your next meal or a meatless Monday night dinner.

Shiitake mushrooms have been used by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries for their medicinal properties. Did you know that Shiitake Mushrooms contain polysaccharides, which are a large complex-carbohydrate molecule that scientists believe contain immune-boosting abilities? The polysaccharide found in Shiitake mushrooms is known as lentinan. Ongoing studies suggest that lentinan stimulates the production of defense cells that aid in the immune system’s attack on cancer cells. Lentinan is currently used in Japan in addition to cancer treatments and is a popular complimentary treatment. Lentinula and Eritadenine are also found in Shiitake mushrooms. They too may provide benefits in the fight against heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and infectious diseases.

Asparagus & Shiitake Noodle Soup with Shrimp

Serves 4

Ingredients

1x 8oz pkt rice noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 green onions, washed and thinly sliced

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, thinly sliced

½ cup snow peas (mange tout), chopped

1 cup asparagus, chopped

1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon green Thai curry paste

1 can lite organic coconut milk

2 cups low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 lime, juice of

1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped peanuts (optional)

How To Make:

Place the rice noodles into a large bowl and pour over boiling water, just enough to cover. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Take a medium saucepan, place over a medium heat and pour in the oil, add the green onions, mushrooms, snow peas, asparagus and shrimp, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the curry paste and stir for a few seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce and lime, bring to a simmer, and gently cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Drain the rice noodles and place an equal amount into four warm soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles and sprinkle over the cilantro and peanuts, serve.