Asian Rice Noodle Soup
By: Kelly Eckert
Published: Monday, January 18, 2010 - 6:46pm

Ingredients




3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 smalls carrots, chopped
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (e.g., Sriracha)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
salt and white pepper to taste
8 4/5 ounces thin rice noodles

Preparation

1 Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. 2 Sauté onions until just starting to brown. 3 Add vermouth, garlic and ginger. 4 Sauté another few minutes. 5 Stir in carrots, bok choy and zucchini. 6 Add broth. 7 Add blackstrap molasses, tamari, coriander and hot chili sauce. 8 Bring to a boil then lower heat. 9 Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 10 Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. (Usually, add noodles to hot water and let sit for 8-10 minutes.) 11 Stir cooked noodles into soup. 12 Add lemon juice and salt and white pepper to taste. 13 Serve with sprigs of cilantro.

About


This vegan soup is also nut-free and gluten-free. If you want it soy-free, just leave out the tamari (wheat-free soy sauce). Of course, it's dairy-free, egg-free and meat-free!
Most people would be asking now, "So what the heck *is* in it then!?!" (As if vegan, allergen-free cooking can't taste good. Really.)
This soup uses rice noodles, vegetable broth and fresh veggies. It has a simple yet lovely, fresh taste. It's a nice break from all my usual creamy soups. I served it with a side of marinated, sautéed tofu and spinach.
I like my noodle soup a bit spicy, so I added more Sriracha to my bowl at the table. My 13-year-old daughter doesn't like spicy at all, and she loved the soup. So the Sriracha in the recipe just adds flavor, not spice.
At the end of the recipe, I call for white pepper as opposed to the usual black. I just really like white pepper in Asian dishes, especially soups. If you prefer black or green or pink or whatever, go for it.