Rice noodles, rich asian broth, winter squash, cauliflower
This quick vegan rice style noodle soup is clean and full of vegetables. It has simple flavors that will be enjoyed by young children. It is a great fuel if you are every feeling low on appetite or unwell. Cauliflower is full of enzymes that are excellent for detoxification. The process of making this soup could be in one day if you start soaking your chickpeas the night before. Or you can spread out the broth and chickpea production over a few days. So when you make your soup it takes you just 5 minutes to throw it together. The roast carrot topping adds another 3 minutes
Active Prep Time: 15 min for Cauliflower Leaf Stock, 2 min for Chickpeas and Stock, 5 min for Soup.
The stock of this soup is what makes it nutrient rich. Make the stock up to two days prior at the same time you are making breakfast or another meal. The chickpea instructions can also be followed up to 5 days ahead of time. The broth from the chickpeas and 1/2 cup of the chickpeas will be used in the soup. But the other 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas can be used in another recipe such as here in the Beet Hummus Recipe.
Cook Times: 40 minutes for Cauliflower Leaf Stock, 24 hrs for Chickpeas and Stock, 20 minutes for Soup
Cauliflower Leaf Stock for Quick Rice Noodle Soup
Soup
Ingredients: Large Leaves of 1 head of cauliflower or use 1 bunch collard greens or 1/2 head green cabbage. You should have 4-6 cups of loose packed greens. 1/2 large white onion Olive oil
Steps:
Roughly chop stems and leaves of cauliflower and of onion. Saute in olive or coconut oil till softened, about 20 minutes. Stir every 3-5 minutes. Add 2 quarts of water or 8 cups. Bring to a simmer on medium heat then lower the heat to cook for 30-40 minutes. Turn off heat and leave on the stove to cool for a few hours or immediately place in the fridge. Strain broth when you have the chance. Either immediately or a day later. Throw out vegetables and reserve the broth. Add 1 T of brewers yeast to the broth.
Chickpeas and It’s Stock
1 cup dry chickpeas Soak chickpeas 8-24 hours in filtered water. Drain. Cook chickpeas in 1 quart (4 cups) filtered water for 3 hours on medium low heat on the stovetop or 6 hours in a crockpot. Reserve the chickpeas and the broth.
Enjoy the quick rice vegan noodle soup because the flavors are subtle because it is clean of common chemicals found in asian sauces and dressing that tend to be neurotoxins.
Ingredients: 3 long stems lemongrass (or zested lemon at the end) 1/4 head cauliflower, chopped 1 cup kabocha squash, large cubes 1 T rice vinegar (Mirin vinegar) 2 T sesame oil 1/2 block firm silken tofu All of broth from cooking chickpeas 1/2 c of cooked chickpeas 3-5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/2 - 1 package (4-8 oz) rice noodles (large flat soup noodles) 1 t white miso added to each bowl to serve 1 bunch mini carrots, roasted (optional) 2 T or 1 oz coconut oil
Steps:
Simple Soup: Add all the ingredients listed except the rice noodles and miso. Bring to a high simmer then turn down low to simmer for 30 minutes. Add the rice noodles at the end according to the cooking instructions. Remove the lemongrass at the end of cooking with some tongs. Make sure your rice noodles are the ones that will stand up in soup. They are typically sold in asian foods stores or your grocery store in the asian section. The recipe accommodates a full package of rice noodles. But if you are serving 3 or fewer adults only add half the noodles. Two days later when you rewarm the soup for another meal, you can add more rice noodles to the pot and reheat. The noodles are best when put in the broth fresh. Roasting Carrots: Meanwhile cut the greens off the tops of the carrots leaving a small amount of green stem. This helps keep the carrots moist while cooking. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius. Toss your carrots in plenty of coconut oil. Roast until browned/caramelized on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Roasting time could be anywhere from 15- 40 minutes depending on the size of your carrots. If you do not have baby carrots cut fry sized pieces and roast 15 minutes. Plate your soup by using a measuring cup to dip out the broth. Use tongs to pull out a good amount of noodles. Add 1/2 to 1 t to each bowl. It will dissolve in a few minutes in the heat. Put 3 carrots in a pyramid on top of your noodles to elevate your soup from simple to gourmet. Beautiful.
