Bean Thread Noodles with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

This recipe comes from Hawaiian cook Ruth Chang. Ruth represents a demographic that may be the longest-lived in the world. According to a study by professor of public health and social work Kathryn Braun and her colleagues at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Chinese American women living in Hawaii enjoy 90 years of life expectancy. That’s two years longer than women in Hong Kong (currently the longest-lived country in the world) and 3.1 years longer than women in Okinawa (previously the world’s longest-lived). Part of the explanation lies in the unique diet of Chinese Americans living in Hawaii.

Makes 3 servings | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Chef's Notes

Stems of the soaked shiitake can be used for shiitake dashi or stock. Use them right away, hold them in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or store them in the freezer for longer.

You can use fresh shiitake mushrooms. Use 1 cup of mushroom broth in place of the mushroom-soaking liquid.

Step 1: Making the Dish

5 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup warm water
1 ounce clear bean thread noodles
1 tablespoon plus 1⁄2 tablespoon oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
8 to 10 water chestnuts, sliced
12 ounces baby bok choy or regular bok choy, cut into 1 1⁄2-inch strips, stems and leaves separated
1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce, or 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon (such as Better Than Bouillon)
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Soak the dried mushrooms in the 1 cup of warm water until soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, reserving the liquid. Cut the stems off the mushrooms (discard the stems), and slice the mushrooms into strips.

Place the bean thread noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour hot water over them. Soak them for at least 5 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Drain the noodles and cut them in half with scissors.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and water chestnuts, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the mushroom mixture from the wok.

Add the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon of oil to the wok and heat over high heat. Add the bok choy stems and stir-fry for 1 minute, until stems start to soften. Then add the bok choy leaves and cook, stirring, for another minute, until the leaves are bright green.

Add the mushroom mixture back to the skillet along with the noodles.

Add the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Serve immediately.

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