3–4 liters (12–16 cups) water, to cook noodles
1½ liters (6 cups) water, with 1 teaspoon salt, to make vegetable broth
8–12 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in 250 ml (1 cup) hot water
250 g (8 oz) dried or 500 g (lib) fresh wheat noodles
8 florets fresh broccoli, stems peeled, each cut into pieces
8 florets fresh cauliflower, stems peeled, each cut into pieces
1 large or 2 small heads bok choy, washed with leaves separated
Seasoning
2 spring onions, minced
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Sichuan pepper-salt powder (page 3)
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
1 Bring the water for the noodles and the vegetable broth to a boil over high heat in separate pots.
2 Drain mushrooms, adding the soaking water to the pot for the vegetable broth. Discard the mushroom stems and cut each mushroom in half.
3 Boil the noodles over high heat and cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes for dried noodles (check the label for instructions), or about 30 seconds for fresh noodles. Drain the noodles and divide them among four serving bowls.
4 Add the mushrooms to the boiling salted water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and simmer for 2 more minutes, then add the bok choy leaves and simmer 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
5 Divide the Seasoning among the bowls of noodles and mix to combine.
6 With a slotted spoon or chopsticks, distribute the cooked vegetables evenly among the four bowls of noodles, then ladle enough broth from the pot to fill each bowl. Serve hot.
This dish is usually prepared with ordinary Chinese wheat noodles, dried or fresh, but any sort of noodles, such as rice noodles or bean thread vermicelli can be used as long as you follow the cooking instructions on the package labels. And, of course, you may substitute any combination of vegetables that suits your tastes and nutritional requirements.