Showing posts tagged soup
Sick Girl Soup Yup, I’m sick again. Working with kids seems to have enrolled me in the poor immune system society. Even though it’s been gorgeous and sunny for weeks in Berkeley, all I’ve been craving is some nice brothy, warming soup. This recipe is completely sick girl proof- even with a brain full of congestion and the stamina of a wilting lily, I was able to make it without wanting to collapse. Measurements are pretty inexact, I literally just dumped in ingredients and hoped for the best. Makes 4 servings. Ingredients: 1 yellow onion 2 T fresh ginger, chopped finely 1 pod star anise 1.5 T veggie bouillon 1-2 carrots 1 head broccoli Handful of mushrooms Dash of Sriracha or other hot sauce Splash of brown rice vinegar Smidgeon of Tamari or soy sauce 1 green onion, chopped veggie protein, sauteed (I used mock duck) Rice noodles, cooked To make: Sautee onion, ginger and star anise until onion is translucent (about 3 min)  Add bouillon and water, bring to a boil Add carrots, cook for a few min Add broccoli, cook a few more minutes Add mushrooms When all veggies are cooked, turn off heat Add Sriracha, rice vinegar and Tamari Ladle over rice noodles, top with veg protein and green onions  -E View high resolution

Sick Girl Soup

Yup, I’m sick again. Working with kids seems to have enrolled me in the poor immune system society. Even though it’s been gorgeous and sunny for weeks in Berkeley, all I’ve been craving is some nice brothy, warming soup. This recipe is completely sick girl proof- even with a brain full of congestion and the stamina of a wilting lily, I was able to make it without wanting to collapse. Measurements are pretty inexact, I literally just dumped in ingredients and hoped for the best. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 T fresh ginger, chopped finely
  • 1 pod star anise
  • 1.5 T veggie bouillon
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 1 head broccoli
  • Handful of mushrooms
  • Dash of Sriracha or other hot sauce
  • Splash of brown rice vinegar
  • Smidgeon of Tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • veggie protein, sauteed (I used mock duck)
  • Rice noodles, cooked

To make:

  1. Sautee onion, ginger and star anise until onion is translucent (about 3 min) 
  2. Add bouillon and water, bring to a boil
  3. Add carrots, cook for a few min
  4. Add broccoli, cook a few more minutes
  5. Add mushrooms
  6. When all veggies are cooked, turn off heat
  7. Add Sriracha, rice vinegar and Tamari
  8. Ladle over rice noodles, top with veg protein and green onions 

-E

Simple Veggie Noodle Soup When you are sick, you need soup. That’s just how it goes. When you are sick, you also don’t have the energy to make a fancy meal. That’s how this soup came about. Tomato sauce can be a great soup base; it’s mainly tomatoes which are flavorful and add texture, plus its already flavored with garlic, onions and a few other spices. I used Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth for extra flavor, which you can find at natural food stores or whole foods. I put in noodles (comfort food) and just a few veggies to keep it simple. I put in a clove of garlic, and actually ate one clove while I was cooking. Garlic is a natural antiviral, as well as antibacterial and antifungal, so it’s great to eat when you are sick. I also made sure to add lots of hot sauce to clear my sinuses.  Ingredients: 1 or 2 TBS Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth Tomato Sauce of Choice (I used Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce) Half a White Onion 1 or 2 Cloves Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste Noodles of Choice (I used rotini, or corkscrew noodles) Frozen Peas Carrots Hot Sauce Directions: Boil a pot of water, add noodles when water is at rolling boil Add Veggie Broth While noodles begin to cook, chop your garlic, onion and carrot into bite size pieces, and add to soup When water returns to boil add frozen peas Mix in several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce, taste and add more as needed Add salt, pepper, hot sauce, and any other herbs and spices you desire Enjoy, and get plenty of rest :) -N View high resolution

Simple Veggie Noodle Soup

When you are sick, you need soup. That’s just how it goes. When you are sick, you also don’t have the energy to make a fancy meal. That’s how this soup came about.

Tomato sauce can be a great soup base; it’s mainly tomatoes which are flavorful and add texture, plus its already flavored with garlic, onions and a few other spices. I used Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth for extra flavor, which you can find at natural food stores or whole foods. I put in noodles (comfort food) and just a few veggies to keep it simple. I put in a clove of garlic, and actually ate one clove while I was cooking. Garlic is a natural antiviral, as well as antibacterial and antifungal, so it’s great to eat when you are sick. I also made sure to add lots of hot sauce to clear my sinuses. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 TBS Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth
  • Tomato Sauce of Choice (I used Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce)
  • Half a White Onion
  • 1 or 2 Cloves Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Noodles of Choice (I used rotini, or corkscrew noodles)
  • Frozen Peas
  • Carrots
  • Hot Sauce

Directions:

  1. Boil a pot of water, add noodles when water is at rolling boil
  2. Add Veggie Broth
  3. While noodles begin to cook, chop your garlic, onion and carrot into bite size pieces, and add to soup
  4. When water returns to boil add frozen peas
  5. Mix in several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce, taste and add more as needed
  6. Add salt, pepper, hot sauce, and any other herbs and spices you desire
  7. Enjoy, and get plenty of rest :)

-N

N’s Famous Veggie Soup This is my best, tastiest, most widely known recipe. My family started making a version of this soup in high school, and since we made it every morning it became known as ‘morning soup’. When I went off to college I began making my own improved versions. It varies every time I make it depending on what I have in the house, but there are a few staple ingredients. It’s pretty light (which means I can eat about 6 bowls in one sitting). I use Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth, which comes in a jar at natural food stores or Whole Foods. It’s a great base for any soup, and I like it better than veggie broth cubes. My veggies really vary, but this version has red onion, frozen peas, kale, carrots, and purple cabbage. I often use frozen edamame (soybeans), broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts.  I usually add a grain, either cooked brown rice at the end or soba or udon noodles when its close to being done. I also often add Trader Joes Thai Gyoza, which are frozen potstickers that taste like wontons when they are in soup. When you’re making the soup, just keep tasting veggies to see when they seem cooked; since there is a lot of freedom on what you add, it’s hard to give specific cooking times.  Ingredients: 1 or more spoonfuls of Better than Bouillon Veggie Broth  Onion of your choice Soy Sauce Rice Vinegar Lemon juice Sriracha or other Hot Sauce Fresh or Powdered Garlic Veggies of your choice, cut into small pieces Tofu, cut into small pieces Grain of your choice Optional Potstickers Optional Nutritional Yeast Directions: Boil water in a medium or large pot While you wait for the water to boil, chop your veggies and tofu into similar sized pieces and mince the garlic Add a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and mix it into water Add garlic and onions to the pot and let them cook for a few minutes Add veggies depending on their cooking times (so I added carrots, then cabbage, the frozen items, then kale, with a minute or two in between each one) When there is about 6 minutes left, add noodles if desired Add tofu If you’re using cooked rice, put it in when the soup is almost done Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and hot sauce to taste, and more veggie broth if needed Turn off heat and serve, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top Happy Souping! -N View high resolution

N’s Famous Veggie Soup

This is my best, tastiest, most widely known recipe. My family started making a version of this soup in high school, and since we made it every morning it became known as ‘morning soup’. When I went off to college I began making my own improved versions. It varies every time I make it depending on what I have in the house, but there are a few staple ingredients. It’s pretty light (which means I can eat about 6 bowls in one sitting). I use Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth, which comes in a jar at natural food stores or Whole Foods. It’s a great base for any soup, and I like it better than veggie broth cubes. My veggies really vary, but this version has red onion, frozen peas, kale, carrots, and purple cabbage. I often use frozen edamame (soybeans), broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts. 

I usually add a grain, either cooked brown rice at the end or soba or udon noodles when its close to being done. I also often add Trader Joes Thai Gyoza, which are frozen potstickers that taste like wontons when they are in soup. When you’re making the soup, just keep tasting veggies to see when they seem cooked; since there is a lot of freedom on what you add, it’s hard to give specific cooking times. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 or more spoonfuls of Better than Bouillon Veggie Broth 
  • Onion of your choice
  • Soy Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Sriracha or other Hot Sauce
  • Fresh or Powdered Garlic
  • Veggies of your choice, cut into small pieces
  • Tofu, cut into small pieces
  • Grain of your choice
  • Optional Potstickers
  • Optional Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

  1. Boil water in a medium or large pot
  2. While you wait for the water to boil, chop your veggies and tofu into similar sized pieces and mince the garlic
  3. Add a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and mix it into water
  4. Add garlic and onions to the pot and let them cook for a few minutes
  5. Add veggies depending on their cooking times (so I added carrots, then cabbage, the frozen items, then kale, with a minute or two in between each one)
  6. When there is about 6 minutes left, add noodles if desired
  7. Add tofu
  8. If you’re using cooked rice, put it in when the soup is almost done
  9. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and hot sauce to taste, and more veggie broth if needed
  10. Turn off heat and serve, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top

Happy Souping!

-N

Vegetarian Pho

This is a vegetarian version of a recipe I googled years ago. I’ve modified it to be easier and cheaper, and taken to calling it “Bastardized Pho”, as it is not in any way a traditional recipe, but delicious nonetheless.

The process sounds complicated, but is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The recipe does include some elusive spices that you might not have in your cupboard. Luckily, the company Spicely Organic makes tiny green cardboard boxes of every spice known to human, so you can pick up oddities like Star Anise and Black Cardamom without paying a fortune. The recipe can also be tweaked to include whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Oh, and it’s pronounced “Fuh”.

Broth Ingredients:

  • 3T fresh ginger root, sliced into quarter sized pieces
  • 1 white onion, cubed (reserve a teensy bit for garnish)
  • 6 fennel seeds
  • 2 pods star anise
  • 3 pods black cardamom
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 seeds coriander
  • Pinch hot pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (don’t settle for anything less than great with your broth, because it will dominate the flavor of whatever you make. I like the vegetable “Better Than Bouillon”.)


Garnish Ingredients

  • Rice noodles (any size works, but I usually get the skinny ones)
  • A vegetable or two- I usually use broccoli, but you can try kale, squash…
  • Veggie protein, cubed (tofu and the mock chicken we wrote about in a previous blog both work well)
  • Cilantro or basil (a spicy basil like Thai basil tastes best)
  • Bean sprouts, if you like them (shudder)
  • Limes

Serves two

To make:

  1. Get your rice noodles going. There are a lot of ways to cook rice noodles, but my favorite method is this: Heat water on the stove. When it reached a boil, turn off the heat, add dry rice noodles, and cover. Let sit until noodles soften (at least 5 min), then drain. Do NOT cook rice noodles the way you would wheat noodles- you will end up with a mushy, gloppy mess.
  2. While rice noodles sit, char ginger, onion, and all the spices in a pot. (Turn the heat on high, stir frequently until the ingredients become fragrant and darken around the edges.)
  3. Pour veggie broth into pot with charred spices and and simmer for 20 min.
  4. In the meantime, lightly steam whatever vegetables you plan on adding to your Pho. I usually just toss them in a heat-proof strainer, balance the strainer over my simmering broth, and put a lid over the whole operation. This saves pots and gives the veggies a nice flavor.
  5. Sauté veggie protein until golden brown.
  6. Cut limes, tear basil, slice the remainder of your white onion into veeery thin strips. Set aside. 
  7. When your broth has finished simmering, strain it over a bowl and discard the chunky remnants.
  8. Ladle broth over noodles, and serve the rest of the topping in bowls on the side, like so:

-e