Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
3 to 4 oz bunch rice noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
one 32-ounce container vegetable broth
1 5-6 inch piece kombu (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (more to taste)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice powder
2 cups water
6 to 8 ounces seitan, cut into thin shreds
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice, or more to taste
freshly ground pepper
thinly sliced lime sections for garnish
Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain and cut into shorter lengths suitable for soup. Set aside until needed.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and shallot and saute over medium-heat until both are golden.
Add the broth, optional kombu, soy sauce, ginger, five-spice powder, and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add the seitan, bean sprouts, half of the scallions, and half of the cilantro. Season with lime juice, salt, pepper, and, if desired, some optional soy sauce. Simmer for three minutes longer, then remove from heat.
Serve at once, garnishing the top of each serving with a thin slice or two of lime, and the remaining cilantro and scallions.
Serves 6:
132 calories
3g fat
10g protein
1g fiber
17g carbs
560mg sodium
taken from: Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, by Nava Atlas.
I hadn't made this soup in years...it's a lighter soup, definitely- I figured it was a good way to use some of that seitan I made. I leave out the bean sprouts 'cause I don't like them, and I don't add the kombu 'cause- well I don't have any and it's another ingredient to buy, but I'm sure it would be delicious.