Burdock Soup with Hon Tsai Tai

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In one of our early boxes from Harmony Valley CSA we got some burdock root. The roots have a brownish-red outer layer and gray to white flesh, and they do not need to be peeled before eating although they should be washed and gently scoured. Most people slice burdock root into thin circular pieces. A long, slow simmering is one of the best ways to cook burdock root, as it brings out the flavor while keeping the roots soft and tender. It stores quite well. Hon Tsai Tai is a tasty as well as rather pretty green, unlike the poor burdock which is not particularly attractive.
I found a recipe in one of the older HVF newsletters that I decided to try because it used both burdock and Hon Tsai Tai, both of which I had.
Burdock Soup with Hon Tsai Tai and Green Garlic
The quantities in this soup are not very important.
2-3 large pieces of Burdock (scrubbed and cut into 1/4 in slices)
1 bunch Hon Tsai Tai (rinsed and rough chopped. Use stems, leaves and flowers)
A few green onions (thinly sliced)
1 8 oz. package Soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
1 small knob ginger root (peeled and sliced)
3 stalks green garlic (sliced)
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
6 cups chicken stock (my favorite brand is Imagine organic)
2-3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4-1/2 pound peeled and cut up shrimp
1/4 pound sliced mushrooms (whatever variety you like)
Black pepper to taste
2 beaten eggs (optional)
In a large pot of simmering water cook soba noodles until al dente and drain into a colander. Let cool, and rough chop. In a soup pot on low heat, sauté the ginger, green onions and green garlic in the sesame oil for two to three minutes, do not allow to brown. Add soy sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Add the sliced burdock and cook until tender. Add the mushrooms and hon tsai tai and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Next add the chopped soba noodles and shrimp. The shrimp will cook in the hot broth. When everything is hot, pour in the beaten eggs if using. This helps to thicken the soup slightly and adds a bit more protein.

Comments

City Girl said…
I soooo wish we had been one of the lucky ones to get some burdock in our box! We're an every-other-week family and get ours on brown weeks. No burdock! This is my first year in a CSA and I'd never heard of burdock before. I'm so interested in it...I'll file this recipe away in hope of getting some later on down the road at some point! Thanks for sharing.
June 5, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Amy P. said…
This recipe looks good, did you like how it turned out?
June 6, 2009 at 8:44 PM
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