February 20, 2020

Asian Mushroom and Herb Noodle Soup

Name: ASIAN MUSHROOM AND HERB NOODLE SOUP - (GLUTEN FREE)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced); 2 large shallots (thinly sliced); kosher salt and ground black pepper (to season soup throughout the cooking ); 1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms; 1 to 2 fresh red or green chiles such as Fresno or Jalapeno; ½ cup gluten free soy sauce (plus more to taste, I use San J); 3 tablespoons mirin; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (more or less to taste); 8 cups water; 8 to 10 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (or 2 bundles bean thread noodles); 1-2 cups herbs washed, dried and rough chopped if desired; sesame seeds (optional); 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (per bowl) (optional but really enhances the soup flavor)

Each spoonful of this Asian Mushroom and Herb Noodle soup feels like it has healing powers. The richly flavored broth works perfectly with the delicious combination of mushrooms and herbs. If you are feeling under-the-weather or are craving soup to warm your soul, Asian Mushroom and Herb Noodle Soup will hit the spot. And it’s even better the second day!

Jump to Recipe

Rice Vermicelli, Fresh Herbs, GF Soy Sauce, Mirin and Chile

Noodles, herbs, gf soy, vinegar and jalapeno for the hot and sour soup

This is the brand of rice vernicelli noodle I use. Pictured are cilantro, parsley, jalapeno, gluten free soy and mirin.

Mushroom Assortment, Shallots, Garlic and Chiles

a variety of mushrooms with garlic, shallots and jalapeno

Above are five different kinds of mushrooms I use for the soup: maitake, shiitake, cremini, oyster and white button. The garlic, jalapeno and shallots are sliced thin.

Sautee garlic and shallots for 3-4 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Cooking the Mushrooms

Add mushrooms and 1/2 of the jalapeno (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, released much of their water and turned a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

adding gluten free soy sauce, vinegar and water to the mushrooms

Next, add gluten free soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and 8 cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes.

Cooking the Rice Vermicelli Noodles

Meanwhile cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, then drain and set aside. Bean thread noodles are another great gluten free noodle option that would be fabulous in this soup.

Asian Mushroom and Herb Noodle Soup

To serve, use tongs to divide the noodles among bowls and then ladle mushrooms and hot broth over the top. Top with fresh herbs, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and remaining jalapeno (if using).

Print Recipe

ASIAN MUSHROOM AND HERB NOODLE SOUP – (GLUTEN FREE)

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: dinner, lunch, Soup, starter

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: baby king oyster mushrooms, brown sugar, creminin mushrooms, fresh herbs, gluten free, gluten free soy sauce, gluten free spaghetti, maitake mushrooms, mirin, mushrooms, rice vermicelli noodles, shiitake mushrooms

Servings: 6 servings

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 large shallots thinly sliced
kosher salt and ground black pepper to season soup throughout the cooking
1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms such as maitake, oyster, cremini, shiitake, or white button torn into bite-size pieces (if dirty, clean with a wet paper towel)
1 to 2 fresh red or green chiles such as Fresno or Jalapeno thinly slice (or use 1/2-3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes), optional or adjust to spice tolerance
½ cup gluten free soy sauce plus more to taste, I use San J
3 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar more or less to taste
8 cups water
8 to 10 ounces rice vermicelli noodles or 2 bundles bean thread noodles

Garnish

1-2 cups herbs washed, dried and rough chopped if desired tender leaves and stems, such as basil, cilantro, mint, chives, parsley or a mix, for serving
sesame seeds optional
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (per bowl) optional but really enhances the soup flavor

Instructions

Soup

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots start to turn a nice golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add mushrooms and half the chile (if using), and season with salt and pepper.
Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, released much of their water and turned a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Do not skip this step. Browning the mushrooms is an important part of concentrating the flavor of the soup.)
Add 1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce, 3 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less according to taste) and 8 cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles following package cooking directions. Drain noodles and set aside.
To serve, use tongs to divide the noodles among bowls and then ladle mushrooms and hot broth over the top.

Garnish

Serve with the herbs, remaining chile, sesame seeds and sesame oil (if using). All of these ingredients add layers of flavor to the soup that enhance the overall taste.

Notes

It seems like this recipe calls for a ton of mushrooms but keep in mind they reduce down quite a bit as shown in my photos above. If you want to use less mushrooms, it’s no problem.

If you can’t find five different kinds of mushrooms, don’t sweat it. The important part is to have a variety of mushrooms to create depth of flavor to the soup. So if you can only find three different kinds of mushrooms at the market, go for it.

Never submerge mushrooms under water to clean them … use a damp paper towel.

I love enoki mushrooms and think they would be delicious. If using, add when adding garnish ingredients.

If you don’t follow a gluten free diet, consider using udon or soba noodles in this recipe.

You are in control of the level of spice your soup has.

Tofu, steamed broccoli and/or steamed asparagus would be a delicious addition to this soup.

If there is leftover soup, store it in a sealed container and refrigerate. Store noodles separately in a baggie or container. If you store the noodles in the soup, the consistency of the broth will change from clear to cloudy and the noodles will absorb the broth.

Sesame oil is very concentrated … a little goes a long way.

Recipe from The New York Times and modified by me for gluten free eating.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Sauteed Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sauteed Mushroom Medley, and Broccoli and Spinach Coconut Curry Soup with Crispy Fried Shallots.

GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.