What's for Dinner?

Makes 4 entrée-size servings or 8 first-course servings

I just returned from Singapore where I was teaching and visiting friends. Singaporean food is a melting pot cuisine consisting of Chinese, Malay, Indian, some Japanese and an occasional Thai ingredient. All the food in Singapore makes the 18-hour flight worth the time spent getting there. You can eat cheaply at any time of day or night. I make this soup at home when I need an easy Far East fix. It takes less than 15 minutes to make. Packaged cooked udon noodles can be found in the Asian section of your grocer's refrigerated case.

Ingredients:

48 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 ounces fully cooked udon noodles
3 baby bok choy, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 (8 ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed and drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped
Chili oil to taste

Directions:

Place chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add carrots and simmer for 1 minute. Add shrimp and simmer for another minute. Add udon, bok choy, and mushrooms and let simmer for 3 more minutes, or until shrimp has cooked through. Stir in green onions. Divide into soup bowls and garnish with cilantro and chili oil before serving.