Title: Chinese cabbage and bean curd soup with mushrooms 
 Categories: *nava atlas, Asian, Soups, Vegetarian, Eat-lf mail
      Yield: 3 Servings
 
MMMMM---------------------------STOCK--------------------------------
      4 c  Water
      1 md Onion
      2    Cloves garlic; halved
      2    Shiitake mushrooms; or more
      1 tb Shiitake mushroom sauce;
           -*see note
      1 tb Tamari soy sauce
      1 ts Vegetarian bouillon
      1 ts Peanut oil; or canola oil,
           -plus dark sesame oil, for
           -aromatic
  1 1/2 c  Shredded napa cabbage
    1/2 c  Sliced mushrooms
    1/4 c  Sliced waterchestnuts
      1 tb Dry sherry; mixed with
      1 tb Shiitake mushroom sauce
      4 oz Tofu Mori-nu lite firm;
           -cubed
           Chopped scallion tops; for
           -garnish
 
  STOCK: Trim the ends off the onion and then cut two slices, one from
  each end, about 1/2-inch thick; peel and separate into rings. Set the
  rest of the onion aside for later.
  
  Measure water into a saucepan. Add the onion rings, garlic, shiitake
  mushrooms, a vegetarian "oyster" sauce (see note), tamari and
  bouillon. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until aromatic. Let stand
  another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and reserve the shiitake. Strain the
  broth into a heat-proof container and set aside; you may need to
  reheat the broth in a microwave. (The vegetables are no longer
  needed. )
  
  While the stock is simmering, sliver slice the rest of the onion.
  Rinse and dry Chinese or savoy cabbage leaves, enough to make 2 or 3
  handfuls of finely shredded cabbage. Mix the sherry with additional
  shiitake mushroom sauce and set aside.
  
  About 5 mins before serving, heat the oil in the saucepan. Saute the
  cabbage a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and saute. Add the
  waterchestnuts and heat through. Clear a small opening near the
  center of the pan and add the sherry-sauce mixture. When the alcohol
  evaporates, add the hot (but not boiling) broth to the pan and mix
  well to heat through. Gently add the tofu and heat. Ladle into soup
  bowls; sprinkle with chopped scallion greens. Serve with soy sauce
  and crunchy noodles, optional.
  
  Pat's NOTE: Nava's recipe calls for 4 to 5 dried shiitake mushrooms;
  reconstituted. We used two fresh shiitake and supplemented with a
  bottled sauce available from Lee Kum Kee. We also added a little
  vegetarian bouillon that contains soy protein. We served the soup
  with an asparagus dish; the snapped asparagus ends were added to the
  soup stock. You can make the stock up to 24 hrs. ahead of the meal
  and reheat before adding to the sauted cabbage.