Vegetarian rice noodle soup (hủ tiếu chay)

Hủ tiếu chay is one of my favorites. I came from My Tho, Vietnam, famous town for rice noodles. My family's business then was making rice noodles. Most of my relatives on my father's side still make rice noodles for a living.

This is a quick way to make this soup. I used one pot to boil the noodles, and another to make the soup. You can use almost any kind of vegetable such as carrots, cauliflower, summer squash, spinach. This dish is not the same as the famous Pho.

Makes one large bowl:

1 tsp minced ginger
3 branches of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
2 baby bella, mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 large bowl of water

In a small pot with high heat, add oil, add ginger, stir fry until fragrant for 1 minute
Add mushrooms, stir fry until brown for 2 minutes. Then add pepper and broccoli, continuing to stir-fry for 2 minutes. Season with sweetener, salt and soy sauce. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 3 minutes.

Bring water to a rapid boil. Stir in rice noodles and bring back to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes or until noodles are soft.

Transfer the noodles to a large bowl, pour the soup over them. Serve immediately with bean sprouts, lettuce, Chinese celery (or parley or cilantro)along with sliced hot pepper, lime wedge.