Fermented black beans are an essential ingredient to this soup. I
couldn’t find exactly the kind of beans Kunkhen used, so I settled for a
prepared black bean garlic sauce, which was perfect and gave the soup the
same earthy taste that Kunkhen’s had. I recommend that if you are using
black beans you begin by adding 5 teaspoons, then taste the soup for
seasoning. If it needs more flavor, add more black beans. The tablespoon of
black bean garlic sauce was perfect to season this amount of soup.
Makes 10 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- for the noodles:
-
2 cups all-purpose flour
-
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-
3/4 cup waterfor the soup:
-
1 tablespoon peanut oil
-
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
-
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
-
1 2-inch length fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
-
1 carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in thin half-moon shapes
-
2 ounces black radish, peeled and diced4 tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
-
5 shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water
-
about 5 teaspoons fermented black beans, or to taste, (or 1 heaping
tablespoon prepared black bean garlic sauce – see head note)
-
8 cups water
-
1 1/2pounds fresh spinach, trimmed and rinsed
-
2 heads butter lettuce, rinsed, leaves scissor cut in wide strips
-
sea salt to tastefor the garnish:
-
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, firmly packed
-
3 scallions, trimmed and minced
DIRECTIONS 1.Place the flour in a medium bowl and make a well. Add the water and the
salt and mix, then gradually mix in the flour. Turn out the dough onto a
lightly floured surface and knead it until it is slightly elastic and
smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover it with a bowl and let it sit.The noodle
dough can be prepared up to 2 hours before making the soup.
2. To make the soup, place the oil, onions and garlic in a large stockpot
over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are
translucent, about 8 minutes.Add the ginger, the carrots, and the radish
and stir, then add the tomatoes and stir.Cook, stirring, until the
tomatoes have lost their shape, about 8 minutes.
3. Drain the mushrooms, saving the liquid they soaked in, and cut them in
quarters. Add the black beans, or the black bean puree to the vegetables in
the stock pot, stir, then add the water and the mushroom soaking liquid.
Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid is
simmering and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Add
the spinach and the lettuces. You may need to add the greens gradually,
pushing them down into the liquid as they wilt. Cook until all the greens
are wilted.
4.While the greens are cooking, divide the noodle dough in quarters. Roll
the quarters into 1-inch thick ropes, then take one rope and holding it at
the end between your thumbs and forefingers, gradually move along the rope
of dough as you continue to pinch the dough with your fingers, so that you
end up with a band of dough that is about 2-inches wide. Repeat the process
on the same band of dough, then repeat with all the ropes of dough so that
you have four, flat bands. They will be irregular, but that is fine.When
the greens are thoroughly cooked, tear 1-inch pieces off the first band of
dough and throw them into the soup. Stir, then continue with the remaining
band of dough.The dough is fairly soft, but it tears quite well,
resulting in noodles that are irregularly shaped, just as Kunkhen’s were.
5. Cook the noodles just until they are tender, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
the soup so they cook evenly.Serve the soup immediately, with the
garnishes alongside.
