I'm going to be honest here, friends - I'm exhausted! Somehow this week has been insane busy for me with trying to get the house show ready and yet pack it at the same time (nope, I haven't figured out how that works either) and I am suddenly turning around to find out that it's Friday. How did that happen??? For some reason in the midst of all of the insanity I decided that it was time to make soup. Yeah I am aware that adding to my plate is not how I clear it, and yet I do it over and over again. This time it paid off though.
Yesterday was all stormy and grey - perfect for soup. I had seen a little pin from Little Miss Cruciferous for an Asian broth and soup. I am a sucker for a good veggie soup so it was time to give this a shot. I didn't have everything that I needed for the soup so I had to improvise a tad. Seriously though, would it really be a recipe pin from me if I didn't change it some?
This is sort of a two for one recipe because of the broth. It is the one of the easiest things that I've ever made and this recipe makes enough for more than one pot of soup. Yup, you can use it for something else later! I love having some back up food in the freezer for those times when I don't want to cook. Granted, with the move impending, I'm pretty sure I am supposed to be emptying the freezer and not filling it --- details, people, details. Back to the broth. I was a little skeptical about the broth because I've never made a pure vegetable broth before. I wasn't sure if there would be enough flavor for the soup, but it does. The broth has to simmer for three hours. Yes it's a long time but since you have to do absolutely nothing to it, go do some laundry (or drink some coffee and read a book).
Once the broth has simmered for three hours or so, strain it and look at the color of the broth! I was a little shocked that a few veggies and herbs created this deep colored broth. First step done! Time to move onto the soup.
Asian Broth and Soup - adapted from Little Miss Cruciferous
Makes 2 quarts
Ingredients:
1 gallon of water
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
10 oz mushrooms
juice of 1 lime
1 small bunch of cilantro, leaves & stems
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
salt to taste
Directions:
Throw all of the ingredients into a large pot, bring to a
boil, and simmer, uncovered, for at least 3 hours; stir occasionally. Turn off
the heat, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes, and then strain using a fine-mesh
sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander (I did the cheesecloth route). Transfer the
stock into airtight containers; store it in the fridge for up to a week or in
the freezer for up to three months or scroll down and make the soup.
Simple Soup
Simple Soup
Makes about 2 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups Asian cabbage, thinly sliced (I used a mix of bok
choy, greens and spinach -- odd mix at the store, don't ask)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup carrots, julienne
1 quart Asian stock
1 cup thin rice noodles or cellophane noodles
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce (salt and pepper will work too)
Directions:
Heat a pot with oil and garlic over medium-low heat until
fragrant. Turn up the heat and add the cabbage; saute for a minute, then add
the mushrooms and saute one more minute. Add the stock, noodles, and the white
part of the scallions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and
stir in the cilantro and green parts of the scallions. Serve it with sliced
lime, sriracha, and fish sauce (weird, but it is good in there) on the side.
 |
