Thai Fish-and-Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound uncooked pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced peeled lemon grass
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 1 pound mushrooms)
• 2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 1 cup (1-inch) sliced asparagus
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 4 (4-ounce) skinned halibut fillets or other firm white fish fillets
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 10 cup coarsely chopped spinach (about 8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place noodles in a bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 3 minutes; drain.
3. Combine 4 cups water and next 6 ingredients (water through 1/2 teaspoon salt) in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add noodles, mushrooms, bell pepper, asparagus, and carrot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the fillets with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place fillets on a broiler pan; cook 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
5. Stir spinach, onion, and cilantro into noodle mixture. Return to a boil; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Ladle soup into serving bowls; top each serving with a fillet.