Mushroom-Ginger Broth with Sea Scallops
Given the minimal amount of work involved here and the incredibly quick prep time, this soup is an ideal starter for wowing your guests. It's luxurious, light, complex, and stunningly delicious. The soup and scallops come together beautifully: the broth is filled with the flavor of leeks, ginger, and mushrooms—it's almost a tea-like infusion—and, poured over the almost raw scallops, it makes for a great contrast.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade or canned low-sodium broth
- ½ cup julienned leeks
- ¼ cup julienned fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh green Thai chile, or to taste
- 4 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms, about 1 cup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces sea scallops, cut crosswise into slices about ¼ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the leeks, ginger, chile, and mushrooms and season the broth with salt and pepper. Cook until everything is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, generously butter the bottoms of four ovenproof soup bowls. Distribute the scallops among them, laying them flat in a single layer. Transfer the bowls to the oven.
- When the scallops have been in the oven for about 3 minutes and are just warm, remove them and season with salt. Sprinkle the cilantro on top of the scallops, then ladle the broth and everything in it into each bowl. Serve hot.