Gingered Veggie Noodle Soup

It was a rookie mistake, going to the grocery store before breakfast. But it was raining, I was already out for school drop off, and I didn't feel like making an extra trip.

So there I was, wandering the aisles. Starving. Before I knew it, there was a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos in my cart.

Sometime around mid-morning, it started calling to me. At first I tried to fight it. It was only another hour until lunch. I could grab a banana instead. Or some yogurt. But it was a losing battle. The Doritos were in my hand. And then they were in my mouth. Not just a chip. Or two. More than I care to admit.

Then the inevitable. The guilt. And disgust. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a health nut. I'm not a person who feels guilty after eating one M&M. But this was just over the top.

All day I tried to get over that feeling of blah. I had a light lunch. I drank green tea in an effort to detox. No luck.

So I decided to make a redemptive dinner. Something light, healthy and nutritious. And, since it was cold and rainy, something warm. Soup. Asian soup. Something with ginger. Something that would placate my disgruntled stomach.

I went to the cupboard first, to make sure I had the basics. Luckily I'd bought a carton of chicken stock last week. There were some thin egg noodles in there too. Next I checked the fridge. Three zucchini and half a bag of baby spinach. And, thank goodness, a big knob of ginger. 

The soup was light and cleansing. Just what I'd wanted. And the rest of those Doritos? Let's just say they won't be tempting me again anytime soon.

Bring the stock and water to a simmer over medium heat. Add sliced ginger and simmer for a few minutes until it's fragrant.

Julienne your zucchini. You can also cut it into small cubes, but I wanted the zucchini to be the same shape as the pasta.

Add the zucchini to the stock, then add the pasta.

After a few minutes, add the baby spinach.

Simmer until the zucchini and pasta are tender, and the spinach is wilted. Taste for salt and pepper. 

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with a few drops of sesame oil. If you like it spicy, add some Sriracha or chili garlic sauce. Enjoy!

Gingered Veggie Noodle Soup

Recipe by The Garlic Press

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

2-inch piece of ginger, cut into 1/2-inch thick disks

2-3 small zucchini, julienned or cut into small cubes

4 to 6 ounces thin egg noodles or other pasta

6 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped

Salt

Pepper

Sesame oil

1.      Put the chicken or vegetable stock and water in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2.      Add the ginger and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the ginger is fragrant.

3.      Add the zucchini, pasta, and baby spinach. Simmer until the pasta is tender.

4.      Taste for salt and pepper.

5.      Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil.

Note: You can easily make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth and substituting a different pasta for the egg noodles.  

Serves 4