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A simple soup, which uses cellophane or mung bean noodles, which are readily available in any Asian markets and increasingly in large supermarkets with ethnic food sections, as is the bottled fish sauce and chile-garlic sauce.

Mealtime: Lunch, dinner
Cuisine type: Thai, Asian
Author: John Ash
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Active preparation time: 40 minutes
Number of servings: 6
Dish type: Main, soup
Level: Easy

 

Nutrition per serving:

Calories: 367.95 kcal
Carbohydrates: 30.63 grams
Fat: 7.61 grams
Protein: 35.53 grams

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1 two-ounce packet of cellophane (mung bean) or thin rice noodles (labeled vermicelli)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups low salt chicken stock
• 3 pounds black mussels, well washed and debearded
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (or to taste)
• 3 cups canned diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup green onions, sliced diagonally and thinly
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons finely sliced garlic, crisply fried in vegetable oil*, optional

 

Directions:

 

Step 1:

Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water and soak until softened, 20-25 minutes. Drain the noodles and dump in a tangle on a cutting board and cut through crosswise and lengthwise to form roughly 4-inch lengths.

 

Step 2:

Add the wine, stock and mussels to a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 4 minutes. Discard any that haven’t opened. Strain, returning the broth to the pot. Remove the meat from most of the mussels, reserving 3 or 4 in the shell for each serving and set aside. Stir the fish sauce, chile-garlic sauce, tomatoes with their juice, green onions, lime juice and hot sesame oil into the broth and bring to a boil.

 

Step 3:

To serve: Divide the mussel meat, mussels in the shell and noodles into warm soup bowls. Ladle hot broth over and top with cilantro and crisp garlic. Serve immediately.

 

 

Tips and Notes:

• Garlic can be fried up to a day ahead and stored airtight. To fry garlic, heat 1/4 inch or so of oil over moderate heat. Add garlic and slowly cook until golden brown. It will take 3 minutes or so. If oil is too hot garlic will burn and become bitter.

 

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