healthy
soba soup

My super-fit neighbor, Barbara, gave me the idea for this Japanese-style soba soup. It has a refrigerator-full of vegetables (in fact you can use almost any produce you happen to have on hand), a nice light broth, and lean chicken. You could also use cubed firm tofu or leftover turkey. In short, an easy way to feel healthy again.

serves 4

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 18 minutes

salt
3 ounces dried soba noodles
canola oil
about 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
4 ounces snap peas or 1 cup shelled edamame (or both!)
5 fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note)
1 shallot, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 carrots, diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups baby spinach leaves

Bring a 5- to 6-quart pot of salted water to a boil and add soba noodles; cook until just al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and put noodles in a bowl; drizzle with about a teaspoon of canola oil and toss the noodles to keep them from sticking. Set aside. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

Cut off the very ends of the cilantro stems, then mince the bottom 2 inches of the stems. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves. Set the leaves and stems aside separately. Cut the snap peas in half crosswise on the diagonal. Cut the stems off the mushrooms, then slice the caps. Set the vegetables aside. Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks.

Return the pan you cooked the noodles in to the stove and pour in 1 tablespoon canola oil. Turn heat to medium-high and add the minced cilantro stems, shallot, and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add carrots and stir for another minute. Pour in chicken broth, water, and soy sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken. When soup returns to a boil, turn down heat and cover. Simmer until chicken is opaque, about 5 minutes.

Uncover and stir in snap peas (or edamame) and mushrooms and cook, covered, until mushrooms are soft, 4 minutes more. Uncover and stir in spinach and cooked soba noodles. When spinach wilts, turn off heat under pot. Stir in reserved cilantro leaves, then ladle soup into large bowls and serve.

note: you can use 1/2 pound of firm tofu, cut into chunks, rather than chicken, or a a cup or two of cubed leftover turkey if you have it on hand.