Asian Beef Soup with Bok Choy

Recently I have been trying to get organized for the week by preparing 2-3 soups on the weekend that can be used for easy weekday meals. I have been trying some new recipes and this is one of them, from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski.

Ingredients:

4 oz. (113 g) uncooked soba noodles, whole wheat spaghetti, or rice vermicelli

6 cups beef broth

3 Tb. hoisin sauce

1 Tb. each sodium reduced soy sauce, grated gingerroot, toasted sesame oil, and freshly squeezed lime juice

12 oz. (340 g) beef tenderloin, thinly sliced

3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves or thinly sliced bok choy

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup each chopped fresh mint leaves and chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup bean sprouts

Method:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside until soup is ready to serve
2. In a large soup pot, combine 6 cups beef broth, 3 Tb. hoisin sauce, 1 Tb. soy sauce, 1 Tb. gingerroot, 1 Tb. sesame oil, and 1 Tb. lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add 12 oz. beef, 3 cups spinach (or bok choy), 1/3 cup green onions, 1/4 cup mint leaves and 1/4 cup basil leaves. Simmer for 5 more minutes, just until beef is cooked through. Taste soup and add salt and pepper, if desired.
4. To serve soup, place some cooked noodles in the bottom of a soup bowl (you can chop the noodles into shorter pieces if you prefer). Top with a few bean sprouts and ladle soup over top. Serve hot.

Cook's notes: I did not have fresh mint or basil leaves, so left this out and the soup was fine.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving:

220 Calories, 7 g. total fat, 18 g. protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g. fibre