Main course soups are part of every Asian cuisine, such as this one drawn from classic Thai cooking. The broth is laced with assertive flavors like ginger and chilies, and the delicate meatballs are cooked right in the soup.
Soup:
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
1 (1-ounce) package cellophane noodles
1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed, and chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
7 cups Chicken Stock or purchased stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Meatballs:
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
11/4 pounds ground chicken
3 garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
For garnish:
Sliced scallions
Fresh cilantro leaves
1. Combine shiitake mushrooms and 1 cup boiling water, pushing them down into the water. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Discard stems, and chop mushrooms. Set aside. Strain soaking liquid through a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter or paper towel. While mushrooms soak, follow package directions and soak cellophane noodles. Drain, and cut into 2-inch lengths with sharp scissors.
2. While ingredients soak, make meatballs. Combine fish sauce and cornstarch in a mixing bowl, and stir well. Add chicken, garlic, and sesame oil, and mix well. Form mixture into 3/4-inch balls, and set aside.
3. For soup, combine cilantro, ginger, garlic, chili, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender. Puree until smooth. Scrape mixture into a 3-quart saucepan, and stir in chicken stock and reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Add meatballs, reduce the heat to low, and cook soup, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink. Add noodles and mushrooms, and simmer 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper, ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle each serving with scallions and cilantro.
Note: The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it over low heat, covered.