Weekend Recipe: Beef and Mushroom noodle soup:

Motherpedia: Can you give our readers some advice on how to spice up the mid week dinner? 

Jac and Shaz: Make sure to keep the pantry well stocked with all the basics.  Lots of Herbs, spices and base sauces like soy sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar etc .  Keeping these on hand means you can jazz up any cut of beef in next to no time and know that you are giving the family a really nutritious, flavour packed midweek meal that contains 13 essential vitamins and minerals.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
250g of thinly sliced beef rump strips, fat trimmed
8 whole dried shitake mushrooms
6 cups of beef stock
¼ cup of light soy sauce
4 spring onions, coarsely chopped, plus extra thinly sliced to serve
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and coarselychopped, plus extra finely grated to serve
1 head of garlic, halved
4 small bok choy, cut into 3cm pieces
2 tbsp of mirin (for alternative, see tips section below)
300g of dried udon noodles
Sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil, to serve

Method
1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl, pour over boiling water to cover and set aside to soften while you make the soup base.

2. Bring stock, soy sauce, spring onion, ginger and garlic to the simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes to develop the flavours. Strain (discard solids) and return soup to pan.

3. Drain mushrooms, slice off the tough stems and discard, then thickly slice the mushroom cap and add to soup (you can add a splash of the soaking water too if you like for extra flavour).

4. Bring back to the simmer, add bok choy and simmer for about 2 minutes until just tender, stir in mirin and season to taste.

5. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet directions, drain and divide among bowls, then pile beef on top. Ladle over soup and serve hot, scattered with sliced spring onion and sesame seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil and with extra ginger and soy sauce to add to taste.

For more recipe inspiration to help you create delicious and healthy mid-week meals the whole family will enjoy, please visit betteronbeef.com.au.