Vegetable Vermicelli Clear Soup
On June 11, 2013 by Meghalee Das
Vegetable vermicelli clear soup consists of an aromatic broth, where seasonal vegetables and vermicelli noodles are added to make it hearty and flavorful. I love making creamy soups that have beans, peas, mushrooms or potatoes. But this time I tried a clear soup, as a friend requested for something low-cal. You can use any vegetables available at that time. I love Thai clear soups but I know that lemon grass is not available in many places. Instead lemon zest plus lemon juice can be used to add a fresh citrus flavor, which goes very well with clear soups. Just remember to strain the grated lemon rind to avoid the bitter pieces.
You can also have the soup without the vermicelli noodles (which are made of semolina or sooji and also called sewai). Egg and rice noodles go great too. Or just add some instant noodles like Maggie and Ramen. Noodles help to make the meal more filling. What I like about this recipe is that it is flexible and is great for colds. The pepper and the chilli flakes help to unblock a congested nose, and ingredients like carrots and beets make the soup very healthy. Feel free to experiment with the flavors, spices and vegetables because you can’t go wrong with this recipe!
For Broth:
Ingredients:
Water: 5 cups
Bay leaf: 1
Cinnamon: 1/2 inch stick
Whole black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp
Lemon zest: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 small, halved
Garlic: 2 cloves, smashed
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece, smashed
Cilantro+Parsley+Basil: A small bunch, tied together
Salt: 1 tsp
Method:
Boil the water and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and keep aside. This broth can also be frozen and used as a base or stock for other preparations, besides this vegetable vermicelli clear soup.
For Soup:
Ingredients:
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Garlic: 1 clove, chopped
Chilli flakes: 1/2 tsp
Mushrooms: 4, thinly sliced
Zucchini or cucumber: 1 small, cored and thinly sliced
Celery: 1 medium size stalk, chopped
Carrot: 1/2 cup, julienned (leave some for garnish)
Beet: 1/2 cup, julienned (leave some for garnish)
Spring/Green onions: 1 stalk, chopped (leave some for garnish)
Tomatoes: 1/4th cup, chopped
Soy sauce: 1 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Vermicelli noodles: 1/2-3/4th cup
Butter: 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves and parsley: 1 tsp, chopped (optional)
Salt to taste
Method:
1) Heat oil in a pan and fry the garlic and chilli flakes for a minute. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, celery, carrot, beet and spring onions and saute on medium high for 5 minutes.
2) Add soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar and salt to taste, toss and add these vegetables to the broth we had made earlier. Bring the broth to a boil and add the tomatoes, noodles and butter. Simmer for 12 minutes till the vegetables and noodles are fully cooked.
3) For garnishing, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper, carrot, beet, chopped spring onions, coriander leaves and parsley.
4) Serve vegetable vermicelli clear soup hot with toasted garlic bread. For the garlic bread, I butter the bread or drizzle some olive oil over it. After toasting it in the oven, I rub a cut piece of garlic all over it.
- Water: 5 cups
- Bay leaf: 1
- Cinnamon: ½ inch stick
- Whole black peppercorns: ½ tsp
- Lemon zest: 1 tbsp
- Onion: 1 small, halved
- Garlic: 2 cloves, smashed
- Ginger: ½ inch piece, smashed
- Cilantro+Parsley+Basil: A small bunch, tied together
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Olive oil: 1 tsp
- Garlic: 1 clove, chopped
- Chilli flakes: ½ tsp
- Mushrooms: 4, thinly sliced
- Zucchini or cucumber: 1 small, cored and thinly sliced
- Celery: 1 medium size stalk, chopped
- Carrot: ½ cup, julienned (leave some for garnish)
- Beet: ½ cup, julienned (leave some for garnish)
- Spring/Green onions: 1 stalk, chopped (leave some for garnish)
- Tomatoes: ¼th cup, chopped
- Soy sauce: 1 tsp
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
- Sugar: ½ tsp
- Vermicelli noodles or rice noodles: ½-3/4th cup
- Butter: 2 tbsp
- Coriander leaves and parsley: 1 tsp, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Boil the water and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and keep aside. This broth can also be frozen and used as a soup base or stock for other preparations, besides this vegetable vermicelli clear soup.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the garlic and chilli flakes for a minute. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, celery, carrot, beet and spring onions and saute on medium high for 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and salt to taste, toss and add the vegetables to the broth we had made earlier. Bring the broth to a boil and add the noodles and butter. Simmer for 10 minutes till the vegetables and noodles are fully cooked.
- For garnishing, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper, carrot, beet, chopped spring onions, coriander leaves and parsley.
- Serve vegetable vermicelli clear soup hot with toasted garlic bread, where I butter the bread, toast it in the oven and then rub a cut piece of garlic all over it.
