Easy Asian Soup with Noodles

The other day I made a dinner that really followed these Gonzo tenants--using only what you can find in your cupboards and fridge--but I did have to make a purchase: Maifun noodles. Luckily the pack I bought cost only a buck-fifty.

This dish came together because I checked my pantry and fridge and noticed that I had eggs, an onion, cilantro, some broccoli, and lots of carrots, scallions, and celery from the farmer deliveries. I also noticed hot chili flakes, soy sauce, and some random things that I have but that you wouldn't need, like shrimp paste (a slightly funky concoction that's red and oily) and soy paste (a thick, slightly sweet soy sauce) (both from Ms. Gonzo's appetizer contest at work)(we're trying to get rid of them).

I also had some bones, so I made a stock for a soup, but you don't really need stock. Another take on this recipe would be using Ramen noodles as well as the packets. I've done this before as well. This type of soup works well and is filling. The Ramen style is easy enough: boil water, add flavor packets, add vegetables, add egg (make sure you beat it a little), add noodles. It takes less than twenty minutes, and depending on how many people you have, you can feed them all with the right amount of noodles.

What I made is essentially the same thing, only I used Maifun noodles and no flavor packets, instead generated my own flavoring with the stock and other random shit in my cupboards.

Maifun noodles are rice noodles than you'll usually see as deep fried and crispy, added sparingly to garnish soups and salads. It is quite neat to fry these noodles.Once the get dropped in the oil the just sit there for about four seconds, then, instantly and magically they poof and grow and you have to pull them out or they'll really burn. Seriously, the blocky rectangle of dry rice noodles expands uniformly and takes up the entire fryer basket in an instant. Since they continue to crisp and cook after they're removed, you have to take them out right away after the poof.

When using them in soups, you need to soak them for a while until they soften up, and then toss them into the boiling soup and let them go for about a minute. That's all they'll really need.

The one thing these rice noodles have over instant Ramen noodles is that they won't absorb all the liquid in the pot as you eat your helping.

So, here you can see my noodles, the celery, onion, scallions, garlic, carrots.

I started by putting the noodles in a bowl to soak, then went with the onions, garlic, and cilantro stems in oil and added the flavoring agents (pastes and sauces). Once that got a little tender, I added the celery, carrots, and broccoli and let that saute for a minute or three. Then went in the stock and returned it to a boil. Next, once the boil is achieved, stir in your beaten eggs, I'd say one person. After about two minutes it'll be nicely done, and you can add the noodles, then the scallions and cilantro leaves.

Now you can turn it off and let it rest. In just a few minutes it'll be ready to go. Serve with chopsticks if desired. Quick, easy, fresh, and hits all three of the food balancers: protein, vegetable, and starch.