Asian Noodle Bowl with Ham

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

To make this quick soup, explore the Asian-foods section of a well-stocked supermarket. We used rice noodles rather than wheat or egg noodles in this recipe because they need only be soaked in warm water.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, cover with warm water, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside. Place the dried mushrooms in a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Add warm water to the top, close the container, and soak for 15 minutes. (Dried mushrooms float; placing them in a covered container ensures they will be submerged.) Drain, pat dry with paper towels, trim off stems, and cut into thin strips.
2. Meanwhile, in a 3½- to 4-quart saucepan, bring the stock or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the ginger and carrot, and cook until the carrot is crisp-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the soy sauce, ham, watercress, green onions, drained rice noodles, and mushrooms. Stir to combine and heat through. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve immediately.

Notes

• Rice stick noodles are thin, dry white noodles made from rice flour. They are typically packaged in cellophane bags. The noodles are available in assorted widths, anywhere from 1/16- to 1/4-inch wide; any width will work just fine for this recipe.

This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.