Asian Salmon-and-Rice Soup

1 . Stage

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2 . Stage

Coat the salmon with the soy sauce and sesame oil.

3 . Stage

In a large pot, combine the cooked rice, the cilantro stems, the ginger, salt, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

4 . Stage

Add the salmon to the pot. Simmer, covered, until the salmon is just done, about 5 minutes. Remove the cilantro stems. Serve the soup garnished with the cilantro leaves and scallions.

5 . Stage

Notes: We used long-grain rice for our soup. In China and Japan, it would be made with short-grain, which is starchier and dissolves into the soup more readily. If you want to go the short-grain route, arborio is readily available.

6 . Stage

Wine Recommendation: Pairing this soup with wine may be a bit of a stretch. A lager beer is a much better choice. Best of all: small flasks of warm, tangy sake.