Monday, January 16, 2012

Gingered carrot and soba noodle soup

This dish is tasty and nutritious, and simple to make and enjoy on a cold winter's evening. The only thing the average person might not have in her kitchen to make this is the soba noodles. I wouldn't recommend substituting regular pasta in their place, so it's worth a trip to the store to get some.
For two:

4 -5 medium carrots, peeled and julianed (i.e. cut into thin batonettes)
1 medium onion, sliced
Fresh ginger, grated (about 2 tbsp)
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
Vegetable stock (or water)
Soy sauce
2 bunches of soba noodles

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the soba noodles and cook for half the time the package recommends, about 5 minutes.

Heat some oil (olive or almond) in a heavy iron skillet. Sautee the onions over low heat for a few minutes, than add the garlic, carrots and ginger. Stir to coat with the oil and cook for a few minutes. Cover with just enough vegetable stock, bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer until the carrot is just tender, maybe 5 minutes or so. Add the soy sauce and the soba noodles and heat for a few minutes.

Divide the noodles and vegetables evenly into two large bowls, and pour the broth into the bowls. Serve with chop sticks and Chinese spoons.