This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)
this post is sponsored by Risenta & Asennemedia
And so the flu finally got us. First me, then our baby bear. (Fun fact: my husband likes to call himself big bear, our boy baby bear, and me as mama bear. In Finnish they sound maybe a but cooler? Our boy also has nicknames such as the poop monster, rascal, and night terrorist. These are all humorist names obviously :))
After spending a couple days in pajamas, I thought we had passed it, but now my boy is a poor little creature with the runniest nose. The positive thing is that flu will pass and it’s not that serious, even though the sore throat at the beginning always feels like the most awful thing there is. Luckily I’ve gathered rather an arsenal of home remedies over the years and as usual, I went for my usual treatments this time too: zinc, carmolis tincture, grape seed oil extract, sage throat spray, chaga tea, raw chocolate, sea buckthorn juice, and turmeric. Besides taking my drops and tinctures and munching on some chocolate, I always get a craving for something warm and savory, which pretty much means soups, stews, or other comforting foods. This time my cravings led me to making this simple, yet super flavorful noodle soup, that I hope you guys will love too.
I’ve had the chance to work with Risenta quite a lot over the years, and this time I got my hands on their bean pasta and black sesame seeds. We use black sesame seeds pretty often at home, as they make so many foods look pretty (I love them on top of my avocado toast + smoothies) and they taste really good too. Different kinds of bean and lentil based pastas have been popping up a lot lately and I think they’re really great for quick and nourishing weeknight meals. I find Risenta’s soy bean fettucine to be a lot like noodles, which makes them a fun replacement for regular noodles, especially if you’re looking for some extra protein.
I like my soups simple (and my food, especially when down with the flu!), so this one is made just with noodles a.k.a bean pasta, pan fried tofu, broccoli, and a few toppings. The soup base has a lot of ginger and garlic, and it’s really easy and quick to prepare. If you’re into spicy foods, it’s super easy to add some volume to this recipe by increasing the amount of chili flakes in the soup base and / or adding some more fresh chili tot the soup. I, in turn, am the one who picks up her chilis from the soup before taking a spoonful, so the flavors here fall more towards warming than hot. If you’d like to add some more vegetables, I bet corn, sprouts, pak choi or aubergine would be really nice. And as a last tip, I’ll just say that I also added some coconut cream and turmeric to the soup base once I was reheating it and it was a killer combo, so that’s another way you could with this one. So many ways with these kinds of recipes :)
Eat well and stay cozy, friends!
Feel Better Noodle Soup with Tofu & Broccoli
notes: if you wish to make the soup a bit more ‘creamy’, you can add some coconut cream to the broth! also a teaspoon of turmeric is a great add, if you’re in need of some extra boost.
serves 3 to 4
1 pack (about 270 g) firm tofu
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 head of broccoli
1 pack Risenta yellow bean pasta
1 lime
chili
spring onion
Risenta black sesame seeds
Soup base:
a thumb of ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp sesame oil
about 3 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp chili flakes
METHOD:
1. Start by preparing the tofu. Drain the tofu and wrap it into a kitchen towl and set to a plate. Put another plate on top of the tofu and add some weight on top of the second plate on order to remove any excess liquid from the tofu.
2. Then move onto making the soup base. Slice or grate the ginger and garlic finely. Heat a saucepan, add the sesame oil to the pan and fry the ginger and garlic on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tamari, and chili flakes. Let simmer on low heat while you prep the rest of the soup.
3. Remove the tofu from the kitchen towel and cut it into squares. Heat a frying pan and fry the tofu in a hot pan for a few minutes until browned. Turn the heat off and add the sesame oil and tamari to the pan. Set the tofu aside for a moment.
4. Cut the broccoli into florets. In another saucepan, heat plenty of water and cook the bean pasta for 3 to 4 minutes until ready. You can cook the broccoli in the same pan with the pasta, or steam or cook it in another pan.
5. Once you’ve got everything ready, assemble the bowls by placing the bean pasta, broccoli, and tofu to the bowls. Pour enough broth to cover the noodles. Finish with some chili, lime, spring onion, and black sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
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