Soba Soup with Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetables

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Servings:
4

Kombu, or dried seaweed, enriches the broth, but if you can't find any, you can still make the soup. The broth can be made up to a day in advance.

Ingredients

For the Broth

  • 4 chicken legs

  • 1 square kombu (6 inches), optional

  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed

  • 1 medium onion, quartered

  • 3 scallions, stems trimmed, chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed

  • 1 piece (3 inches) ginger, sliced

  • 1 jalapeno chile, sliced and seeded

  • 1 medium carrot, julienned

  • 1 napa cabbage leaf, quartered lengthwise

  • 8 to 10 cups water

For the Soup

  • 8 ounces soba

  • 1 teaspoon toasted-sesame oil

  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sake

  • 1 small head napa cabbage, tough outer leaves discarded, thinly sliced (4 cups)

  • 1 medium carrot, julienned

  • 12 large shell-on shrimp

  • 1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

  1. Make the broth: Place chicken, kombu (if using), shiitakes, onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, carrot, and cabbage in a large pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.

  2. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Strain into a pot, and reserve mushrooms and chicken; discard remaining solids. Skim fat from broth. Thinly slice mushrooms. Remove skin from chicken, then shred meat into 1-inch pieces. (Broth, mushrooms, and chicken will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 day.)

  3. Make the soup: Cook soba in a large pot of boiling water until soft but not mushy, about 7 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Toss soba in a large bowl with sesame oil.

  4. Add soy sauce and sake to broth, and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and boil until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact, and reserve. Add reserved mushrooms and chicken and the tofu to the broth, and cook for 2 minutes.

  5. Divide mushrooms, chicken, soba, cabbage, carrot, and tofu among bowls. Top each with 2 or 3 shrimp. Spoon broth over each serving, and garnish with scallions. Serve with individual bowls of chile sauce.

Cook's Notes

Broth, mushrooms, and chicken will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 day.

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