On a cold winter evening, when you are cozily snuggled in bed and want some to satiate your hunger pangs, a bowl of soup comes in handy. While there are a plethora of instant soups that are available in the market, the freshness of handmade soups is unmatched. Quite recently, I was taking a stroll in the park with my friend and she was telling me how much she loves soups, especially in winters. It was late in the evening on a Sunday and while discussing dinner, we both said, “it’s soup”. Be it the nutritious palak (spinach) soup, tomato or mushroom, the taste is so gratifying that you won’t be able to get enough of it.
I might fret at the sight of certain vegetables when served for meals but if the same are dunked in bowl of soup, I would drink it without blinking an eye. Never been a huge fan of noodle soups though. Noodle soups are a thing, absolutely. In fact, adding noodles makes that light bowl of soup quite filling and wholesome. For instance, the Tibetan thupka is one such soup. The huge portioned soup is filled with all kinds of vegetables, from carrots to cabbage and spinach along with meats like shredded chicken, pork etc. Noodles are added to this combination and then cooked along with the other ingredients.
Soups, in general, are a common suspect in most Asian cuisines. Not only do they provide warmth to the body along with nutrition, they also serve as a great substitute for meals and can be perfect for a quick evening snack or a proper lunch and dinner meal.
Here are some utterly delicious noodle soups that are slurp-worthy these winters.
1. Shiitake And Noodle Hot N Sour Soup
Do you like mushrooms? The chunky and soft bites of shiitake mushrooms make for a heavenly soup bowl. These special Chinese mushrooms are black in colour and spruced up with a hot and spicy flavour along with the richness of tofu and vegetables. Add noodles to this spicy soup and your dinner is sorted.
2. Vietnamese Noodle Soup
A specialty of Vietnam, the strong flavours of galangal with hints of lemongrass make this noodle soup stand out. Loaded with mushrooms, bean sprouts and ginger, the highlight of this soup is that they use a unique variety of rice stick noodles.
3. Chicken Udon Noodle Soup
Got your ginger, garlic, cloves and bak choy in place? Flavours of these are enough to spike up a bowl of this noodle soup. Boiled and shredded chicken is added for protein and the best part, you ask? It definitely has to be udon noodles.
4. Pork Pho
Pho refers to a Vietnamese soup which has a brothy texture and flavour. Noodles are cooked in the broth and infused with the flavour of carrots, spring onions and mint leaves. The soup is cooked with pork in coconut water and some fish sauce.
5. Edamame Mushroom Miso Noodle Soup
This Japanese seasoning flavoured miso soup is a heavenly treat. The goodness and nutrition of edamame mushrooms pairs really well with the noodles.