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A tasty rice noodle soup and other great lunch and dinner ideas that are heart healthy and easy to prepare

Delicious easy healthy recipes for anytime of the year

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Rice Noodle Soup with Spinach and Shitake Mushrooms

From Vietnam
This delicious rice noodle soup with shitake mushrooms and spinach makes a great hearty supper for a cold day, as it will warm you for hours.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water
• 8 ounces dried rice noodles (wide flat ones or thinner ones per taste)
• 1.5 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoon garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 12 ounces fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon unprocessed sea salt
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves, roughly cut
• 6 green onions, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves including some stems, chopped

Directions:

1. The dried shitake mushrooms should be covered by hot water and soak for about 30 minutes.
2. Start with making crispy garlic in oil: heat a small skillet over low heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add a little garlic and if it sizzles, add a bit more oil. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir gently while the garlic turns golden and has a soft, wheaty color, after 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Bring water to boil and cook the rice noodles gently. Use a fork to keep them apart and cook until tender but still firm, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. In a large skillet over high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of oil and place a bit of fresh chopped garlic into it. When it sizzles at once, add the remaining fresh garlic and the fresh mushrooms, sprinkle with salt. Cook until shiny, softened and nicely brown, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
5. In a saucepan at medium heat, bring vegetable stock to boil for the rice noodle soup. Meanwhile remove the soaked shitakes from water and strain them through a sieve. Add some of the soaking liquid to the boiling stock, as it will give flavor. Slice the shitakes into long thin stripes and set aside.
6. When the stock is boiling, divide the noodles and the fresh spinach into serving bowls for all guests. Add a serving of shitake mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms, and green onions to each serving bowl. Ladle one cup of hot stock into each bowl and sprinkle with ground pepper and cilantro leaves. Finally, top each bowl of rice noodle soup with a generous tablespoon of crispy garlic in oil.

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