Lunch: Asian Vegetable Soup with Noodles

This fragrant noodle soup is full of Asian vegetables. Feel free to substitute or add your favorites.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Lemon

Health benefits of Asian Vegetable Soup with Noodles

Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. They can potentially support the immune system and have other health benefits. Lemons also have a low glycemic index, so they should not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar when consumed in natural form.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Cooking oil
6 scallions including green tops
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. dried red-pepper flakes
3 1/2 c. water
3 1/2 c. canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
4 carrots
3/4 lb. napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 1/2 head)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 small head bok choy (about 3/4 pound)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 lb. Vermicelli
1 1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, water and broth and bring to a boil.
Add the carrots to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and salt and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add the bok choy and lemon zest and simmer until the bok choy starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the vermicelli until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the sesame oil. Put some noodles in each of four bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles.
Wine Recommendation: German wines are huge sellers in Japan; their exciting juxtaposition of tangy acidity, vibrant aromatic fruitiness, and balancing sweetness is ideal for Asian cuisine. Look for a Mosel kabinett for a match made in heaven.