Yesterday it was kind of dreary outside. So I decided before the warm weather sets in (like that’s going to happen any time soon in the Puget Sound area), I would build some soup. But I wasn’t in the mood for a bean soup, or a creamy soup. I wanted more of a broth and vegetables kind of soup. I also had a few veggies that needed to be used, so I went on line to see what I could find.

What I found was a recipe from Kathleen Daelemans that looked delicious. I modified Kathleen’s recipe to better work for our tastes, and which not coincidentally included some of the veggies that were screaming at me from their refrigerator bin. I then added some other ingredients like tofu, spinach, and basil that I thought would work well in a noodle bowl. The recipe below is the result.

Now having just told you that Kathleen’s recipe looked delicious, I should explain why I made so many changes. First of all – that’s what I do! And if truth be told, I simply can’t help myself. That’s because I know what Mr. C and I like. And the knowing part just comes from eating together for so long and from experimenting with many, many dishes over the years. And because, first and foremost, most recipes for soups, stews, and the like are simply guidelines; wide open to be modified to suit your own tastes or to include ingredients you happen to have on hand. And my recipe below is no different from Kathleen’s recipe in that regard.

The amount of garlic or ginger, for example, can easily be changed. You happen to have carrots on hand; they can certainly be added. You hate pea pods; leave them out!

I guess what I am saying is that half the fun of cooking for me, and I suspect for you too, is the experimentation aspect. And you have to know, that if I can’t help myself from changing perfectly good recipes to suit my personal tastes, then I can’t expect you not to do the same.

So use my recipes following every ingredient and amount to the letter, or change any of my recipes to your heart’s content. Just do yourself a favor when you are making changes. Write the changes down as you go along. I can’t tell you how mad you are going to be at yourself if you create the perfect “whatever”, and then can’t repeat yourself because you have forgotten what you changed. And no, even if you think you are going to remember what you did, 3 months from now you aren’t going to remember. OK, if you’re only 23 you might remember. But if you are over 60, the chances are really slim. Heck, you might not even remember what day of the month it is, much less what changes you made to the original recipe. You really want to take that chance? I doubt that seriously. So simply have a pencil handy while you are building the dish and take notes as you go along. Someday you’ll thank me, I know you will. (I’m not going to hold my breath you realize. But I know some day I will hear from you with effusive words of thanks. It’s simply inevitable.)

• 4 T. tamari (rich, naturally fermented soy sauce)
• 2 T. shaohsing (Chinese rice wine) or mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 T. rice vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. Sriracha, plus more for the table
• 8 c. chicken broth
• 5-6 button mushrooms, halved and then thinly sliced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 4 c. chopped Napa cabbage
• 1 c. chopped fresh spinach
• 6-oz. rice noodles, cooked according to the package directions
• ½ block firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
• ½ c. thinly sliced pea pods
• ¼ – ½ c. chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 lime, cut in wedges, opt.

Mix soy sauce, shaohsing, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, rice vinegar, pepper, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Heat the broth in a medium saucepan. Add the soy sauce mixture, the mushrooms, chicken, Napa cabbage, and spinach and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the cooked noodles, tofu, and sliced pea pods. Scoop soup into large bowls and garnish with basil and green onions. Pass lime wedges and Sriracha at the table as “do it yourself” garnishes.

Please note: to make this a GF dish, use GF tamari