It’s been a period of lots of work, which is good, and too much sickness, which is not. It’s been one thing after another, and I am bushed. Nothing terrible, really, just a cold and a virus and a lot of weird hours. Which means I really really need to nourish myself, but I’m almost too tired to do it. Ever feel this way? Perhaps all the time?
When I have a cold, especially, I crave something warm and comforting and totally easy. In the past, the spicy Thai or Japanese soup I can order from two excellent places close by have been my go-to cold fixers. But recently I haven’t wanted to indulge. Though the soups themselves are wonderful and vegetable heavy and spicy and brothy and somehow light yet satisfying, when they’re delivered they come in those terrible plastic containers. And although one can’t strive for perfection in this world, hot food in plastic is one thing I am trying to cut out completely. The BPAs are just not worth it. I’ll do a full post on the BPA problem another time, but for now suffice it to say heating plastic is the single worst thing you can do for your health (I won’t even get into how it clogs our landfills). Just say no.
However, last week this idea left me in a little pickle. Too sick to be monkeying with complex food prep, too stubborn to order in a BPA-laden dinner.
And so a simple soup recipe, if you can even call it that, was born.
It all started with a box of veggie broth (which I hope doesn’t have a BPA liner, but can’t tell for sure). I put it in a pot with half a head of broccoli rabe and a bunch of chopped bok choy, some pre-sliced mushrooms, a splash of hot sauce and a scoop of mild yellow miso. Boom. Dinner. Seriously, except for chopping the bok choy I didn’t do anything. The BHH had roasted chicken alongside. I scrambled an egg and stirred it in like egg drop soup.
Night #2: Still sick. Still want soup. STILL not ordering in. It all started with a box of veggie broth. I added shredded kale, chopped bok choy, bean sprouts, mushrooms, sesame oil, miso and a splash of soy sauce. Plus, for me, some pressed, sliced and seared organic tofu. For him, leftover chicken. Boom dinner. 10 minutes flat.
Night #3: STILL sick. Still want soup. Getting a little bored, but….It all started with the leftovers from night #1. I added a can of organic white beans, plus more broth, more broccoli rabe (which adds an incredible flavor to the whole operation) and garlic. White bean soup. Dinner. 10 minutes flat.
All of which is to say that a home-cooked meal doesn’t have to be difficult. The BHH loved these meals too! I could barely believe it. And we both finished the week feeling lots better. Care to try it?
Start with:
Broth. A whole box. And maybe some water.
Add:
Vegetables. Any. Make sure to include greens for maximum health. Mushrooms are very satisfying in an almost “meaty” way.
Mild yellow or white miso/sesame oil/soy sauce/hot sauce or whatever flavoring you like
Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, any or all
And: Tofu, chicken, shrimp, egg (scramble it and stir in, scramble on the side, or even poach it right in the broth), white beans, shelled edamame, rice or soba noodles, the sky’s the limit!
Simmer until it seems done.
