Asian broccoli noodle soup

A week or two ago I asked on my Facebook page what sorts of recipes people fancied seeing this autumn. Most of you were thinking along the same lines – warming stews, curries, casseroles, that kind of thing. Anything to make the impending cold weather bearable, basically. A few people wanted soup, and someone wanted some kind of noodle recipe – so I thought I’d make noodle soup to kill two birds with one stone (not that you’re birds, or that I want to kill you… I also don’t condone animal violence…).

This Asian-inspired broccoli noodle soup is made with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sriracha – all sorts of fragrant flavours that make the broth really tasty.

Aside from the ingredients in the flavourful broth, there are only a few main elements of this broccoli noodle soup (they don’t call this site ‘simple vegetarian recipes’ for nothing) – Tenderstem broccoli, leeks, and noodles. It’s really easy to customise though, if you fancy mixing it up a bit. Add different veggies (maybe some asparagus or mushrooms?), tofu or soy beans, use egg noodles instead of rice noodles… the spicy broth would be a great base for all kinds of soups. Just make sure your veggies stay nice and crisp – they only need to boil for a few minutes in the broth.

I also enjoyed adding plenty of toppings to my noodle soup – spring onions, coriander (cilantro), and some sliced red chillies for an extra kick. It’s so pretty. Garnish is everything!

If there’s anything better than slurping a big bowlful of noodles, I don’t know what it is. But I would probably not recommend eating this noodle soup in polite company – you may be liable to end up with broth dribbling down your chin, perhaps even flicking yourself in the eye with a noodle… just get your face right down to the bowl and chow down.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Asian broccoli noodle soup

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Servings: 2 bowls

Calories:

Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 medium leek, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 litre (~ 4 cups) vegetable stock
• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• Black pepper
• ~ 6 spears of Tenderstem broccoli
• 100 g (~ 3 1/2 oz) dried rice noodles (or egg noodles, if you prefer)
• To serve: spring onions, sliced red chilli, fresh coriander (cilantro), fresh lime juice (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the sliced leek. Cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat until starting to soften, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 more minutes, until soft and fragrant.
• Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and plenty of black pepper. Mix well to create the broth.
• Bring to a simmer, and add the Tenderstem broccoli. After a couple of minutes, add the rice noodles, and cook for a few more minutes until the noodles are cooked and the broccoli is tender but still fairly crisp.
• Serve the noodle soup topped with sliced spring onions, red chillies, fresh coriander (cilantro), and a squeeze of lime juice.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/2 the recipe.

Love Asian-inspired soups? My sweetcorn egg drop soup is light but full of flavour: