When I said I was working on a soup book, the response was often, "Oh, I love soup!" People enthuse about soup in a way that’s so heartwarming it makes me feel as if I’m in the right camp...
Robust and lively Chinese celery is a boon in the kitchen. Not unlike lovage in flavor, it resembles celery, only the stalks are thin and wobbly rather than broad and crisp. You can find it at Asian markets and sometimes farmers' markets where there are Hmong and Vietnamese growers.
The broth simmers for thirty minutes, but after that the soup is done in the very few minutes it takes to cook the somen.
Makes about 2 quarts
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
10 to 12 ounces (about 8 cups) Chinese celery, some of the more tender leaves set aside for garnish, the rest chopped
1 large bunch of cilantro, a small handful of leaves set aside for garnish, the rest chopped
2 bunches of scallions, chopped
2 slices fresh ginger, about 1 1/2 inches wide, smashed
1 jalapeno chile, quartered and seeded
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Sea salt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, to taste
2 to 4 ounces thin somen noodles
Roasted sesame oil to taste
Cover the mushrooms with 1 cup boiling water and set them aside.
Put the Chinese celery, cilantro, scallions, ginger, chile, and garlic in a stockpot with 1Ú2 teaspoon salt. Add 2 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cover. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Strain and return the stock to the stove. Pour the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine strainer into the stock. Thinly slice the mushrooms and add them to the broth as well. Add lemon juice to taste and season with salt.
Cook the somen in a quart of boiling water until tender, then drain and divide it among 4 bowls. Pour the broth over the noodles and add the lemon zest, juice to taste, and a few drops of sesame oil to each bowl, along with the reserved celery and cilantro leaves, minced.
