Easy Root Noodle Soup

Fiber. Gluten-free, vegan, detoxing, and grounding. Roots = 1st chakra = connecting to Earth. I make this year around. During cold days it’s super comforting. I am a lazy cook. I find the simplest way to make tasty and nutritional meals.

My son and I are good noodle folk. It’s carbs but I’ve found “better” carbs. Mung bean vermicelli and brown rice noodles. It helps to grow up Taiwanese. I’ve discovered some secret ingredients too. Read on.

It takes some chopping and peeling for this soup to happen. Worth it because the soup mostly cooks itself and you’ll probably have leftovers.

You’ll need:

one 6-quart stock pot

3 long sections daikon (white radish)

1 turnip

Rutabaga

1 rutabaga

2 carrots or a bunch baby carrots

3 celery stalks

1 bunch cilantro

1 small head cauliflower (optional)

6-8 ears (a bunch) dried shitake mushrooms –
use organic if possible. If you can’t find shitake, use other types of dried mushrooms.

3 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar*

1.5 tablespoons kosher salt (to taste) –
Diamond Crystal brand recommended: just plain salt, no additives.

1/8 teaspoon (to taste) ground white pepper*

1 pack mung bean vermicelli ( “Bean Threads” in picture)-
try not to buy bright white ones; they might have been bleached. They come in bundles in package. Each bundle = a serving.  Or, 1 box brown rice noodles (“Maifun” in picture). Half box =3 servings.

*Secret ingredients -apple cider vinegar and white pepper.  White pepper is one of my favorite spices. My family is sensitive to spicy-hot. A little bit flavors the soup without making it spicy.

Wash, peel, slice, and quarter all vegetables except dried mushrooms.  Reserve some chopped cilantro for garnishment after soup is made.

Put all ingredients except noodles in pot.  Add water, to an inch over vegetables. They will float toward surface of water.

Cover and bring soup to boil. Simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours, until large pieces soften.

Make only amount of noodles you want for meal. They won’t keep well when reheated. Follow cooking instructions on package. Mung bean vermicelli or rice noodles can be boiled directly in broth (about 4 minutes). Note: noodles might “suck up” broth. If so, add water and bring to boil again, make sure noodles are cooked (soft).

To serve: Pick up (I use chopsticks) noodles from pot, place in soup bowl. Add veggies and broth over noodles. Sprinkle fresh cilantro and/or white pepper to taste. Enjoy.

More roots-related recipes: http://grist.org/food/rooting-for-root-vegetables-the-perfect-recipes-for-fall-and-winter/