On a damp, winter’s day, there is nothing like a tickle every tastebud noodle soup. One made up of whatever you have in the fridge and pantry. Then thrown into a pot of boiling broth, you are grateful you took the time to make.
After trying various renditions of throwing “it”, into the pot, including one which had me break out in a full sweat. My overzealous choice left me with a whole new understanding of rajas and the realization that two chopped up Thai chilis is sensory overload. However, I will admit it felt kinda good. More in my body than in my mind. If there was any stagnation, cold, mucus in any nook and cranny of my body, it melted away. And prana was flowing like a bustling river.
After the invigorating incident subsided, I felt lighter and physically energized. Although I survived, I would not wish this degree of chili intensity on anyone especially A.—if you are not used to chilis and B.—if you tend to have an abundance of fire energy. Lessons learned about what I can and cannot handle at this point in my life.
After the chili experience, Â I started documenting the combination of ingredients I kept returning to, sans the chilis. The end result soup speaks of my love for Vietnamese pho, Thai tom yum and Burmese khawse, with a touch of my Indo-Pak roots, somewhere in the mix.
Another reason, I’ve kept this immune-boosting broth stocked in my fridge. It’s been serving its intention in helping me to make quick, tasty meals that counterbalance the cold season with very little effort and time. In the time it took to heat up about 2 cups broth, and cook the noodles—in the same pot was the same amount of time it took to chop up the add-ons. My favorite part about this soup!
What I learned was having a little sweetness—the noodles, snap peas and carrots, a little tart—a little lime, a little earthy—bok choy and roasted sesame, and a little pungent—fresh cilantro and mint created a lovely balance. Its’ the combination of tastes, more than the specific ingredients that is the secret to cooking with this immune-boosting broth… happy eating. happy digesting.
Rice Noodles & Veggie in a Turmeric & Lemongrass Vegan Broth
a quick, soup made from our Immune Boosting Broth | a vegan brew of turmeric, lemongrass & ginger
ingredients
in the pot
- 2 cups Immune Boosting Broth
- pink Himalayan salt or sea salt to taste
- rice noodles to preference
- 1-2 baby bok choy sliced lengthwise in half
- 6-8 snap peas sliced thinly
- 1 kaffir lime leaf optional
toppings
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped + stems + to taste
- 1/2 lime or lemon juiced or to taste
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil or to taste
- 2 tbsp carrots grated
optional toppings
- 1 scallion green part only + sliced
- 1/2 green chili (serrano or thai) sliced
- fresh mint to taste
instructions
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in a 1-quart pot heat the broth (dilute with water if desired), add salt, when it comes to a boil, add rice noodles, bok choy, snap peas, and optional kaffir lime leaf. cook for about 3-4 minutes until rice noodles are cooked
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in the meantime, prep and then add chopped cilantro, mint (optional), lime juice, toasted sesame oil, grated carrots, thinly sliced scallions (optional) & chilis (optional) to a serving bowl
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pour the pot of soup with the noodles, bok choy, and peas into the bowl, stir and serve immediately. adjust toppings and salt per taste
recipe notes
- the rice noodles and toppings will balance the robust flavors of the broth, however, if you are new to the spices in the broth, you may want to dilute the broth by replacing 1 cup of broth with water or a non-spiced stock of your choice. another alternative is to add 1/2 cup of coconut milkÂ
- spinach, baby kale or napa cabbage can be used instead of bok choy
- fresh peas can be used instead of snap peas
- rice noodles can be replaced with egg noodles, or kelp noodles, cook time may vary
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