Recipe: Udon Noodles with Edamame, Peppers & Mushrooms in Ginger-Garlic Broth

And so, the following soup came together quite beautifully.  I had random udon noodles, ridiculously cold temperatures to deal with (even though it’s the middle of January), and a pesky sinus infection that will insist on making me sound like my very own orchestra wind section.  All three were perfect excuses to make a big batch of soup!  Santa’s gifts of Grocery Outlet gift cards had allowed me to buy some frozen edamame, mushrooms, and even a giant red bell pepper, as well as a decent-sized block of tofu; all things that would go quite well with my noodles.  Some homemade veggie stock brought down from the freezer, plenty of garlic & spices, and I was all set for a fabulous soup that would not only warm me up and fill me up but would help relieve some of those awful sinus symptoms I’d been dealing with for days.

Just a couple of quick notes on this one: by all means, use fresh ginger if you have it!  They didn’t have any at G.O. so I had to stick with ground ginger.  It works fine in a pinch, but freshly grated ginger can only make this soup better (and far more effective if you’re using it for medicinal purposes).  You can certainly play around with the veggies in this one, but I like the way the colors & textures of the edamame, peppers, and mushrooms play off of each other.  It makes this a very lovely soup to look at, and as I’ve mentioned before, part of “eating well” in my world is enjoying aesthetically pleasing food.  Lastly, if you’re not a big fan of tofu, no worries!  Try some cubed chicken or a few shrimp instead.  And if you’re looking to stick with a vegetarian soup sans tofu, the edamame still provides plenty of protein.

The best part about this soup?  Not only is it cheap and oh-so-delicious, but it is also super quick & easy to make.  So if you’re pressed for time after a long day at work, this would be a fabulous solution for a tasty, nutritious dinner.