simple soup

We love to make soup. Most of the year, no other meal could be more satisfying—it's hot and hearty, simple, always adaptable. Our staple soup this spring has been lentil, which I love because it requires no grocery store trip or special planning: lentils, potatoes, onions, and cumin are always stocked in our cupboards and the farm always has some kind of greens to harvest and toss in at the last minute.

This week, we wanted inspiration for a new mix of flavors, which meant we reached for Best Recipe's Soups, Stews, and Chilis. An Asian soup sounded intriguing, and we picked the first one we saw—Japanese soba noodle soup—because it called for spinach and the farm has tons. 

A caveat first: we did not really follow the ingredients list. However, this not one of those recipe reviews that reads like, "Zero stars! I substituted dill for the cilantro and lemon for the lime, and it didn't taste Mexican at all!" No--all we did was simplify. (I love Best Recipe's philosophy to print only the best recipes, but sometimes I do not want the best; I want the easiest.) 

The original recipe calls for shiitake mushrooms, which you use to make your own mushroom broth. We didn't want to spend $12 per pound on mushrooms and our pantry is bursting with chicken stock, so we ditched the shiitake for white mushrooms (so much more attractive at $3 per pound) and used chicken broth. We made a few other minor adjustments (no mirin, which the recipe called for), and ended up with a rich, flavorful, and simple soup. Springlike, said Tim, because it's light and brothy. Fall-like, I said, because the mushrooms add a deep earthiness. Take your pick—either way, it's a repeat dish. 

Japanese Soba Noodle Soup 

{This recipe made 2 meals for us} 

8 cups chicken broth 

4 tablespoons soy sauce 

8 scallions, dark green parts and light green parts separated and roughly chopped
9 ounces soba noodles 

8 ounces white mushrooms, roughly sliced 

Spinach, washed and roughly chopped (we probably used 6+ ounces; the recipe calls for 3 ounces)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional; I accidentally blackened ours until they shone like tiny grains of obsidian, so we did not have any!) 

Combine the broth, soy sauce, and dark green, roughly chopped scallions in a stockpot over medium heat.

While the broth is warming up, fill another pot with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, pour in the soba noodles and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Test a noodle--it should be tender, but definitely not mushy. Drain, rinse with warm water (Best Recipe stresses this: warm, not hot or cold), and set aside.

Now the broth should be simmering. Add the sliced mushrooms and simmer until tender. Then stir in the spinach and let it wilt, but only just.

Portion the noodles into individual bowls, then ladle the soup over the top. Sprinkle with the rest of the scallions and the sesame seeds (if they survived your toasting), and enjoy.

Note: If you have leftovers, the noodles will be much mushier the next day unless you keep them separate in the fridge. We didn't bother to keep them separate and it was fine, although not the delicious al dente of the first day.