Home shrimp noodle bowl

The bowls in the grab-and-go fridge look like health food. Soy, gochujang or miso, plus brined protein, plus noodles: assume 2,000 mg sodium or more. This is the same idea built at home, at about 300–400 mg sodium per bowl.

The estimate here is 380 mg. It depends on the noodles and the shrimp; read both labels. The numbers still need dietitian review.

Method

1. Soak the dried shiitake in the 600 g hot water for 30 minutes. Strain and keep the water. Remove tough stems, slice the mushrooms and pat dry.
2. Cook the rice noodles in unsalted water according to the package, usually 3–6 minutes for thin noodles. Drain and divide between two bowls.
3. Dry-sear the shiitake in a hot non-stick pan for about 3–5 minutes, until lightly browned.
4. Add the garlic, carrots and bok choy stems, plus a splash of the soaking water. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the rest of the strained soaking water and bring to a simmer. Add the thawed shrimp and bok choy leaves. Simmer for about 3–5 minutes, turning the shrimp, until they are pink and opaque all the way through and reach 74 °C inside. Larger shrimp may take longer.
6. Stir in the lime juice. Divide the shrimp, vegetables and broth evenly over the noodles.

Notes

• Shiitake broth, garlic and lime provide the flavour here. No soy sauce, miso or gochujang is included in the estimate; adding sauces changes the sodium.
• Best eaten fresh. For advance prep, refrigerate the chopped vegetables separately and cook the shrimp when assembling. Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge, never on the counter.
• Refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow containers within 120 minutes, keep at 4 °C or colder and eat within 3 days. Reheat to 74 °C throughout; the noodles will soften.
• Nutrition uses raw shrimp and dry noodle weights, with about 120 mg sodium per 100 g shrimp and 180 mg per 100 g dry noodles. Choose products at or below those amounts to keep this estimate useful. Brined shrimp can push the bowl well above the outline's 300–400 mg range.