I have a confession: Chef James and I don’t always agree on food. We might seem all cheery and agreeable – and for the most part we are – but there are certain foods that one of us will make and the other just turns up his nose at. Yes, that pronoun choice was intentional. Sometimes it gets personal.
One of the foods we disagree about is soup. In the winter, I love it. I am perpetually cold and I crave hot, cozy foods. A steaming bowl of soup fits the bill perfectly. James, on the other hand, would far prefer a thick meaty stew, which I find just a touch too heavy.
The blessing (and the curse) of this situation is that if I want soup, I’m on my own. And if I make soup, chances are I’m eating the whole thing. Luckily our toddler likes soup almost as much as me… so it’s 2 to 1 on the soup front. Take that papa. 😉
With fall officially making its presence known here in the Pacific Northwest, there’s no better time to pull out the soup pot. What luck that my friend and colleague, Craig Fear, also known as the Soup Whisperer (yah, I made that up, but seriously why isn’t anyone calling him this yet??), just wrote a wonderful new book called Fearless Broths and Soups. He sent me a copy and I devoured it. Literally.
If you – like me – love soups but don’t have a vast soup repertoire, then this book is for you. Not only does he give you great recipes, he gives you formulas. I love formulas because they lead to recipe-independence, they’re flexible to accommodate what you’ve got in the fridge, and they’re an easy way to unleash your own creativity.
Also, Craig breaks down the process of making your own bone broth into very manageable steps – so if that’s something you’ve been meaning to try but are still feeling intimidated, this book will hold your hand through the process and make it all very doable.
Craig let me share one of his soup formulas with y’all today so I chose one of my all-time favorites: the Asian Noodle Soup. We eat mostly gluten-free in this house, so I used some alternate noodles that I link to in the post. It was easy, hearty, sooo nourishing, and made a great lunch, then breakfast, and then lunch for me three days in a row. I think you’ll love it, too. Enjoy!!
Ingredients
• 2 quarts bone broth—beef, chicken, fish, pork [MF note: I used beef bone broth]
• Any meat you like [MF note: I soft-boiled some pastured eggs]
• 1 Tbsp sesame, coconut, or olive oil
• 2–3-inch piece of ginger, diced
• 3–6 cloves garlic, diced
• Any greens you like
• Noodles of choice [MF note: I used these gluten-free black bean noodles]
• Soy sauce and/or fish sauce, to taste [MF note: we have a soy sensitivity in our house, so I used coconut aminos]
Directions
Step 1. Sauté ginger and garlic in sesame, coconut, or olive oil for a few minutes.
Step 2. Add broth and bring it to a rolling boil. Cook 10–15 minutes to infuse broth with garlic and ginger. While broth is simmering, prepare noodles according to package directions.
Step 3. Add greens and meat and simmer until cooked, 3–5 minutes. Place noodles in bowls and ladle soup over noodles. Add soy sauce or fish sauce to taste.
Tips and Variations
1. Add any other veggies you want—mushrooms, scallions, string beans, broccoli, carrots, etc.
2. Many Asian soups are spicy. Add some fresh chilies in step 1 or hot sauce like Sriracha in step 3 for some added heat and flavor.
3. Top with bean sprouts, herbs like cilantro, parsley, or mint, and add a squeeze of lemon or lime.
4. If you have an allergy or sensitivity to soy (and if you don’t like fish sauce), you can substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce in any of these recipes. Coconut aminos are a soy-free seasoning made from coconut tree sap. You can find good quality products in most health food stores as well as a recommended product on my broths and soups resources page.
What gorgeous photography…makes me want to gobble down the soup this instant on these cool fall days. Additionally, what an interesting idea to throw in egg for “meat”, too. Very innovative!
I have made something similar and added in dried mushrooms and slices of avocado. It was so yummy! I also made some gingered pork meatballs to put in it. I used GF rice noodles, but you must put them in at the end, or they can get mushy.
Sounds delicious!!!
This looks delicious! I’m going to make this soon!