Tofu Noodle Soup
Makes 6 servings of approximately 1½ cups each
I WAS PRETTY LUCKY TO GROW UP EATING A LOT OF REALLY GREAT HOME COOKING.
I didn’t figure this out until I had to fend for myself later in life. Turns out a package of Red Vines and a sugar-free yogurt not only completely defy logic, but are also a really, really bad lunch choice.
My brother, on the other hand, clued into the beauty of brown bag sandwiches made on homemade honey wheat bread earlier, and used this realization to do what he does best. Shuck and jive. Fast Eddie was turning a pretty profit in the cafeteria, opening his letterman’s jacket to expose what Mom had packed for the day and taking cash from the highest bidder.
The biggest wake-up call for me in home cooking appreciation, beyond refined sugar-fueled energy crashes, was how completely lousy canned soup really is. I get sad when I hear people say, “I had a can of soup for dinner.” You poor, poor thing. Those sodium-packed, watery, mushy-vegetable, tinny-tasting soups are punishment. You deserve better.
But when you are sick, you want soup. So what are you going to do? Don’t you dare open that can. I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. You’re going to do what your mom would do. You’re going to get out a big pot. You’re going to cook up some fresh chopped vegetables. You’re going to fill the pot with a warm, soothing broth. You’re going to add a pinch of basil here and a dash of oregano there. You’re going to float in giant piles of tender, delicious noodles. And, just to pull a switcheroo on old mom, you’re going to toss in some chopped tofu.
Grab your box of tissues, the quilt your grandma made you, a pair of cozy slipper socks and a big bowl of soup. Settle in on your couch and eat your way better. Or watch a Julia Roberts movie your way better. The two are not mutually exclusive.
And then do what any smart person would do. Take your leftovers to work tomorrow and sell them. Cash only.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups dried pasta (use traditional noodles or look for whole-grain varieties in fun shapes, such as corkscrews, fusilli, bow ties)
1 tablespoon vegan margarine (i.e., Earth Balance)
½ cup yellow onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
6 cups vegetable broth
8 ounces baked tofu, cubed
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1 Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2 Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat and add vegan margarine. When margarine has melted, add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3 Add vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and add tofu, basil and oregano. Simmer until tofu has heated through. Add noodles, season soup with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 140 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 640 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 8 g protein, vitamin A 70%, vitamin C 4%, calcium 30%, iron 8%
pea points
I always cook my noodles separately from my soup. This keeps the broth from getting too starchy, and then each person can also control how many noodles he or she wants. Lulu lives for noodles. And cheese and pickles.