Noodle Soup with Shiitake & Moroheiya

fresh shiitake mushroom/ fresh moroheiya leaves/ baby bok choy
moroheiya green noodles in mushroom broth with tamari and toasted sesame oil
garnished with
bean sprouts/ fresh cayenne pepper/ cilantro/ scallion/ togarashi

fresh moroheiya and moroheiya noodles

Moroheiya (Corchorus olitorius), also known as Egyptian Spinach, has been touted as a super vegetable; high in beta-carotene, iron, calcium, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. I’ve even read that it was the secret to Cleopatra’s beauty! After having discovered it at a local tasting, this ramen-style noodle soup has been a favorite of ours for months, but I just recently discovered the fresh herb. In soup, moroheiya takes on an intriguing okra-esque texture, and has a light fresh pleasant herbal taste.

Ramen’s healthy sister: GreeNoodle

The noodle color comes naturally from the powdered moroheiya leaves. The wheat based noodles are steamed and air dried instead of being fried, the result is a wonderful chewy texture.

Soup Preparation

Bring 2 c. mushroom broth to a boil, season with low-sodium tamari and toasted sesame oil.

While mushroom broth is heating prepare the vegetables.

Remove stems and coarsely chop the moroheiya. Chop bok choy. Slice shiitake.

Prep cilantro, bean sprouts, scallion,  cayenne pepper.

The noodles are made in Thailand and marketed under the name GreeNoodle.

Each package contains the equivalent of 20 moroheiya leaves.

When the broth is hot, lower heat to medium and add sliced shiitake. When the shiitake are tender, add rough chopped bok choy and moroheiya. Then add a packet of the noodles, stir gently to loosen noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then add garnish.

Togarashi

Top the soup with bean sprouts, cilantro, finely sliced cayenne pepper (to taste), sliced scallion, and a sprinkle of taberu togarashi. The togarashi seasoning blend is made with black & white sesame seed, red pepper, salt, white pepper, dried bonito, kelp, powdered plum and powdered red shiso.  This unique and colorful noodle soup with rich umami flavor, interesting textures, and high nutritional value is on the table in less than 10 minutes!

Please stop by tomorrow afternoon to view my
Classic Dish entry for Project Food Blog Challenge #2!

Taste With The Eyes has advanced to the second round. Thank you so much!

Challenge #2: Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post.

You can bet there will be some fabulous renditions of
Classic Dishes on the internet by tomorrow afternoon!