My nearly-five-year-old and I just made this for dinner and I have to say between the two of us we nearly vacuumed it up! It took a supreme effort of will to save some for daddy :-). I didn't have quite everything on hand to make it exactly as written but even with my couple of substitutions it tasted enough like my favourite Chinese restaurant's version to satisfy my craving. I think the hoisin and the ginger are key; just about anything else can be fudged a bit as necessary. Can't wait to try it again with even more of the authentic ingredients! Btw my little one ended up tearing his lettuce up and eating it like a salad. Still tastes good and a bit less mess.

Reviewed On: Jan. 22, 2012

This was really lovely. I wasn't sure about the amount of ginger since the volume really varies depending whether you grate or mince and how finely. I used a 2" piece of root and found it gave the soup a good sharp zing although the grated ginger was nowhere near 1/4 cup. I love the flavour combination and couldn't believe that such a small amount of cumin set off the ginger so beautifully. Used a home-made stock and found no need to add salt. Will definitely serve this to company!

Reviewed On: Nov. 17, 2011

This was a great recipe idea. I put my own spin on it because I wanted noticeable chunks of sun dried tomatoes in every bite. I used a good basil pesto, thinned with a bit of the olive oil and balsamic, for the dressing, omitted the cilantro, and stirred in chopped sun dried tomatoes along with the olives. Delicious! I might try some finely chopped red onion too next time - and there will definitely be a next time!

Reviewed On: Aug. 30, 2011