Asian Carrot and Mushroom Noodle Soup

This soup will heal whatever happens to be ailing you. I should know. I've been trying to battle some form of cold for the last 2 weeks. Ugh! Make it go away. All I want to eat is soup and this one takes the cake.

It's a light and healthy meal that takes chicken noodle soup to a whole new level.

It starts by sautéing fresh ginger, garlic, green onions and red pepper flakes in olive oil (you could take this recipe another step further by using coconut oil instead). Just the scent of this cooking on the stove top is enough to be medicinal. It will clear your head...It will also make your mouth water. You can use as little or as much red pepper flakes as you like. I like my spice so I add somewhere between 1/4 to a 1/2 tsp. If you don't like spice then keep it tame with an 1/8 tsp.

Cilantro is stirred in right at the end to give the soup a burst of fresh light flavour that really brightens things up.

Last but not least, I used whole wheat egg noodles, which is what you see in the photos, but you can use any type of noodle you like. For a gluten free option substitute rice noodles or rice vermicelli. Be sure to add them with the snow peas at the end watch them carefully to avoid noodle mush. Vermicelli noodles will cook through in just a few minutes.

This soup also boasts a whopping 103% of you daily intake of vitamin A and 40% for vitamin C.

Time to feed my cold.

Asian Carrot and Mushroom Noodle Soup Gluten free option | Serves 4

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Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (depending how hot you like it)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 2 cups each no-sodium added chicken broth and water
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp each of low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari if GF) and sesame oil
• 2 oz whole wheat egg noodles (or rice noodles if GF)
• 6 oz /1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed and halved
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic, ginger, onions and red pepper flakes, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and carrots; cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until moisture from the mushrooms evaporates and deglazes the bottom of the pan.
3. Add chicken broth, water, lemon juice, soy sauce and sesame oil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in noodles and chicken and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add snow peas and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

*Tip* 

• If using rice noodles, add them in when you add the snow peas and monitor the noodles closely for doneness. They should only take a few minutes to cook.

Nutrition Information 

Serving Size: about 1 cup Calories: 206 Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 1.7g Cholesterol: 45mg Sodium: 245mg Carbohydrates: 16.8g Sugar: 3.5g Fiber: 3.2g Protein: 18g Vitamin A: 103% Vitamin C: 40%

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Simple things are usually the best. You can spend hours on a recipe, going to different grocery stores and specialty food markets to buy unique ingredients, but often times it's the things we make with what we have on hand that taste perfect.

This soup comes together in the blink of an eye, and most of the ingredients are things you'll likely already have in your fridge or pantry. It will quickly become a family favourite.

Squash is one of my reliable friends in the fall and winter. It's a standard vegetable, but when you vary the cooking methods and ingredients, your end result is full of interesting new flavours.

For this creamy soup, squash butternut squash gets roasted and onions and garlic become caramelized. There is no dairy in this puréed soup. The roasting brings out such rich flavours that you wouldn't want to mess with. No lack of flavour here.

No lack of vitamin A either. One serving of this soup has a whopping 298% of your daily intake!

I kid not...golden, buttery flavoured squash is infusded into every spoonful. 

And to top it all off? My pumpkin pie spice roasted pumpkin seeds.

Now this is comfort food! So simple. So good. Perfect before/or after a night of trick or treating.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup gluten free, vegetarian, vegan option | makes about 6 cups

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Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 1 large Spanish yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups no sodium added chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• pumpkin spice roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the squash and onions with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and empty the bowl out, making sure the veggies are in an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until veggies are tender and golden brown. 
3. Transfer the roasted squash and onions to a large pot; add the chicken stock and nutmeg. Simmer for 25-30 minutes.
4. Purée the soup using an immersion blender or working in batches with a blender or food processor until you have a silk smooth soup. Careful it is pipping hot! Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with 1-2 tbsp pumpkin spice roasted pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition Information (with 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds)

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups Calories: 166 Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 23g Sugar: 4.8g Sodium: 67mg Fiber: 4g Protein: 5.2g

Happy Halloween!