Orange Ginger Broth with Soba Noodles

Here's another recipe involving oranges. This one is from Michael Smith of Chef at Home andChef at Large.  He's another one of my favourite chefs, as he often cooks without a recipe. This is something I strive for - the ability to know what ingredients go together to make an interesting flavour blend! 

Ingredients:
1 x small package soba noodles
2 cups orange juice 
2 cups chicken stock 
2 inch piece of ginger, frozen
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups baby bok choy, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
1 x carrot, grated
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
   
2. Season with salt and then add soba noodles. 
   
3. Boil just until they have softened, about 3-5 minutes. 
   
4. Drain and rinse.
   
5. Bring orange juice and chicken stock to a simmer.
   
6. Grate in frozen ginger, reserving some for garnish and add soya sauce, green onions, bok choy, sprouts and carrot.
   
7. Stir until bok choy is wilted. 
   
8. Place some soba noodles into soup bowls.
   
9. Ladle in some broth and vegetables and garnish with sesame seeds and grated ginger.
   

 

Rob and I made a few changes to this recipe. First of all, Rob is vegetarian so we used veggie broth instead of chicken broth. Other changes we made...

1. We used rice noodles instead of soba noodles. If you're making rice noodles, just put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water, then let them sit. Don't boil them like regular pasta (what a mushy mess that makes, trust me!)
2. We used a jar of minced ginger instead of frozen fresh ginger. Same diff!
3. We added a bit of garlic.
4. We also added mushrooms and broccoli to the mix. I recommend you throw in as many veggies as you like!
5. We did the 2 cups of OJ/2 cups of broth combination. In retrospect, the next time I try this dish, I will use less OJ and more broth. While the orange was a nice flavour, it was a little overpowering at times. 

Overall, I really liked this recipe and would definitely make it again.