Why is it that every single time I plan on traveling for the weekend, the week leading up to it is totally bonkers? Every. Single. Time. I'm going home to Cleveland this weekend to get some family time in and to see Hamilton! I can't really explain how excited I am for this weekend. But before I get to Cleveland I need to survive this week first. Lots of deadlines and multiple moving parts to juggle over here! As much as I love staying busy, at my core I'm a creature of comfort. Which is sort of a strange duality to balance, I guess. I love to multi-task almost as much as I love laying on the couch with Reuben watching Netflix while also rolled up in my pink blanket snacking on cheese and crackers. Honestly, I probably love the latter more.

If noodle soup was a more couch friendly meal that's easy to eat why you're dressed as a giant pink burrito, then I would say that noodle soup is one of the easiest and most versatile any time dishes. Actually I would still say that. Most people don't realize that noodle soups are just as easy and quick to whip us as stir-frys. Making noodle soup requires one additional pot, but you can still customize it with whatever you have in your refrigerator at the moment. 

To make any noodle soup you need these components:

Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions - The holy trinity of Asian cooking
Broth Base - I like to keep some beef, chicken, or vegetable stock in the cupboard for soup, but chicken bouillon also works perfectly well to enhance any soup you're stewing. 
Vegetables - Hearty vegetables like bok choy, kale, zuchinni, and mushrooms work beautifully. Tomatoes are a great addition too : ) I know it's a fruit...
Protein - Pulled chicken, Sliced beef, bits of tasty seafood, tofu, or even egg make great additions!
Noodles - The most important part! I encourage you to explore the asian markets near you and see what kinds of noodles call to you. Maybe it's egg noodles, rice noodles, or something crazy like kelp noodles!

The time it takes to cook a noodle soup is really as short as the time it takes to fully cook your veggies and boil your noodles. If you have some super ninja chopping skills, I bet you could have yourself a bowl of noodles in less than 30 minutes!

Ah I just love noodle soups so much. It's pure comfort in a bowl. Before you tell me how it's summer time and how we should be eating crisp salads all the time, I'm going to stop you. I know it's summer time for most of you right now, but it's still foggy and chilly here in San Francisco, which means I can eat noodle soup whenever I want to! I'm utilizing the most summer ingredient in this recipe though: The Summer Tomato!! The summer tomato has taken up our Instagram feeds. Or is it just me? My favorite way to enjoy a ripe summer tomato is raw, sliced up, on toast. Simple and easy. But I want to use the summer tomato a little different. I didn't grow up with creamy Campbell's tomato soup... I honestly think it's pretty gross. My mom made really light tomato broth egg drop soup growing up and it was and still is one of the best things! You can find the recipe for it here! 

This noodle soup is very similar to my mom's tomato egg drop soup recipe, but I've added egg noodles and some bits of seafood to round it out as a complete meal. The broth is super light and fresh with really pure tomato flavor. It also gets a little bump of seafood flavor from the cuttlefish balls and fish tofu I added in while the tomatoes were stewing. You can find these at all Asian markets in the frozen section. Don't be turned off by the word "fish tofu" it's so freaking delicious. If those fishy things sort of scare you, you could just increase the amount of shrimp! Do what feels right! 

Okay, gotta back to this week's craziness! 

Tomato Noodle Soup

serves 4 

materials:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic - minced
3 green onions - chopped with whites and greens separated
1 inch chunk of ginger - minced
8 cups of water
3 large ripe tomatoes - roughly chopped
2 tbsp chicken boullion
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp salt - more per taste
1/2 tsp white pepper - more per taste
1 lb fresh egg noodles
12 shrimp peeled and de-veined
12 frozen cuttlefish balls - optional
12 pieces of fish tofu - optional

steps:

1. Heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add in garlic, green onions (whites), and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add in water, chopped tomatoes, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Throw in frozen cuttlefish and fish tofu at this time. Bring it back to a gentle boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down. Adjust seasoning per your taste.

2. While the soup is boiling, cook noodles per the packaged instruction. If using fresh egg noodles, they cook for only 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside until ready to eat.

3. Turn off the heat for the soup and throw in the shrimp. The shrimp will cook in just a few minutes and will be ready once your soup is at a safe temperature to drink.

4. Add noodles to a bowl. Pour in desired amount of broth. Top with shrimp, cuttlefish balls, and fish tofu. Sprinkle with remaining green onions and enjoy!