Serves 4
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 piece (2 inches) ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
Poaching liquid from cooking chicken breasts
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch spinach, stemmed
2 cooked chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a soup pot over medium high heat, heat the canola oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken poaching liquid and 1 cup chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and stir in the spinach, chicken, and rice. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is hot and spinach wilts.
3. Remove soup from heat. Stir in mirin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.