Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you from this soup, because if you slice all the vegetables and stir the seasoning together ahead of time, the cooking is pretty fun and goes quickly.
As you prep, line ingredients up in bowls or teacups so they’re easy to grab when it’s time to add them.
Use whatever cabbage you happen to have on hand, in any combination. Nappa, red, white, bok choy, and tatsoi are all equally awesome. If you don’t have gochujang, a Korean chile paste with some lovely complex flavors, use Sriracha or whatever spicy sauce you like.
Be aware that you’ll want cumin rice, which really doesn’t need any salt, all the time from now on. So dang good.
Prep all the vegetables. Peel and thinly slice the onion and add to a soup bowl. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Slide these into the bowl next to the onion. Core and thinly slice the cabbages, then rinse in a colander and set it atop your dish drainer until it's time to add them (don't worry about removing the already-dry dishes first). Set aside a handful of the prettiest cabbage in a little teacup. Trim and slice the carrots diagonally so they don't roll off the cutting board (feel free to peel them first if that is how you do). These can go in the colander with the cabbage. In another little teacup, stir together the gochujang, fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Bring a large soup pot to medium-high heat and add enough grapeseed oil to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add in the onions and sauté a minute or two, until just beginning to soften. Add in the ginger and garlic and sauté a minute more.
Pour in the vegetable stock, then add the cabbage and carrots and the dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, and cook until the carrots and mushrooms are just softened, about 20 minutes, but please don't take my word for it.
While the soup cooks, get the rice going. In a fine strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs as clear as you like it. Add the rice to a medium pot with a good lid and cover with cold water by 1". Stir the cumin seeds and rice vinegar into the rice, bring to a strong simmer, then immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Let steam for 20-30 minutes, until you can smell lovely rice in your kitchen. Turn off the heat and let sit with the cover on until the soup is done. My Filipina friend taught me long ago to measure the water by placing a finger just on top of the rice in the pot and adding water up to the first knuckle. Works like a charm.
Back to the soup... once the mushrooms are cooked, fish them out with a slotted spoon and let cool a bit on a flat plate. Add the teacup of seasonings to the soup and keep simmering while you finish up.
Wash and slice the fresh mushrooms and chilies. Slice the cooled and cooked dried mushrooms. Add all the mushrooms and chilies to the pot and turn it off, but let sit a minute to soften a bit before serving.
Slice the lemon into wedges and chop the cilantro for the table. Stir the rice in the pot, spoon a bit into bowls, and ladle soup over. Pass the lemons and cilantro at the table.
Ingredients
Directions
Prep all the vegetables. Peel and thinly slice the onion and add to a soup bowl. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Slide these into the bowl next to the onion. Core and thinly slice the cabbages, then rinse in a colander and set it atop your dish drainer until it's time to add them (don't worry about removing the already-dry dishes first). Set aside a handful of the prettiest cabbage in a little teacup. Trim and slice the carrots diagonally so they don't roll off the cutting board (feel free to peel them first if that is how you do). These can go in the colander with the cabbage. In another little teacup, stir together the gochujang, fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Bring a large soup pot to medium-high heat and add enough grapeseed oil to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add in the onions and sauté a minute or two, until just beginning to soften. Add in the ginger and garlic and sauté a minute more.
Pour in the vegetable stock, then add the cabbage and carrots and the dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, and cook until the carrots and mushrooms are just softened, about 20 minutes, but please don't take my word for it.
While the soup cooks, get the rice going. In a fine strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs as clear as you like it. Add the rice to a medium pot with a good lid and cover with cold water by 1". Stir the cumin seeds and rice vinegar into the rice, bring to a strong simmer, then immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Let steam for 20-30 minutes, until you can smell lovely rice in your kitchen. Turn off the heat and let sit with the cover on until the soup is done. My Filipina friend taught me long ago to measure the water by placing a finger just on top of the rice in the pot and adding water up to the first knuckle. Works like a charm.
Back to the soup... once the mushrooms are cooked, fish them out with a slotted spoon and let cool a bit on a flat plate. Add the teacup of seasonings to the soup and keep simmering while you finish up.
Wash and slice the fresh mushrooms and chilies. Slice the cooled and cooked dried mushrooms. Add all the mushrooms and chilies to the pot and turn it off, but let sit a minute to soften a bit before serving.
Slice the lemon into wedges and chop the cilantro for the table. Stir the rice in the pot, spoon a bit into bowls, and ladle soup over. Pass the lemons and cilantro at the table.