Shiitake and Veggie Stew with Garlic-Black Bean Sacue

Ingredients

• 4 ounces noodles Chinese glass noodles
• or vermicelli noodles
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil divided
• 2 tablespoons black bean sauce or to taste
• or garlic-black bean sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 inch ginger peeled and freshly minced
• 1 each scallions
• spring or green onions sliced
• plus extra for serving
• 1 small carrots peeled and cut into small cubes
• 4 small wood ears re-dehydrated
• optional
• 4 each mushrooms
• shiitake whole
• 2 each mushrooms
• button or cremini
• sliced
• 1/2 each potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup tofu cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 small bok choy well washed and separated
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or to taste
• 2 tablespoons cilantro freshly chopped

Instructions

1. Add 4 cups of water and black bean sauce into a medium pot and bring to a boil at high heat.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions, carrots, wood ears if using, both mushrooms, potatoes, and tofu.
3. Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a gentle simmer for about 12 minutes until the potatoes are almost soft, and the carrots are tender.
4. Add the glass noodles, and boil for about 10 minutes over medium heat until the noodles are soft.
5. Add the bok choy, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or so until the bok choy are tender.
6. Season the stew with more black bean sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil to taste if needed.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in rice vinegar and sesame oil.
8. Stir in cilantro and serve warm with scallions sprinkled on top.