This week, I got sick. Sick at the worst time (because illness never really is convenient, is it?). I had just come back from a girls’ trip with my mom, had to go back to work, and lots of deadlines this week. So what did my body decide to do? Get. Freaking. Sick.
What was the worst part about it was that the sickness wasn’t a cold or flu, it was some intense sinus pressure/headache/sore throat that wasn’t strep or a sinus infection. All I got from my visit to the doctor was some generic Flonase and some gross mouth-numbing rinse for my throat. And some advice to take some ibuprofen. Really not what I wanted.
For two days, the only thing that helped my sinus brain pain was sleep. Lots of it. When I woke up, my head was killing me. By the second night, I was pissed. I couldn’t really take any magic bullet to make this better, my head’s killing me, nothing was draining from my head, N’s trying to help but there was nothing he could do.
When a dinner hour rolled around, I pulled out my binder of recipes, opened it to a recipe I hoped would make me feel better, and handed it to N. “Please make this. I need to go lie down.”
When the soup was ready, he brought our bowls over and we ate. Oh my goodness, the heat of soup and the spiciness of it did the trick. My nose started to run a little bit, and the savory mushrooms and the filling soba and tofu started to make me feel better. The soup had broken my sickness fever.
Enoki and shimeji mushrooms. Found at all Japanese (and even some Korean) grocery stores.
Ingredients
- 1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2-3 tablespoons gochujang (add more or less depending on heat preference)
- 1 oz. rehydrated dried mushrooms (I used shiitake), drained and chopped
- 1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced and quartered
- 1/3 bunch of enoki mushrooms, chopped
- 1/3 package of shimeji mushrooms, stems removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2? cubes
- 2-3 heads baby book choy, leaves coarsely chopped and stems chopped into 1/2? pieces
- Korean red chili flakes, optional (for even more spice)
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil or more to taste
- 2 bunches of soba, broken in half
Instructions
In a large pot, bring stock to a simmer and add gochujang, stirring to dissolve it in the stock.
Add mushrooms and garlic and keep simmering for about 20 minutes.
Add baby bok choy and tofu and cook for 5-10 minutes more, or until bok choy stems are slightly soft.
Bring salted water to a boil in a smaller pot. When boiling, add the soba noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain.
When serving, put the soba in your bowl first, then the soup. Store the noodles separately from the soup.
Notes
Adapted from Minimally Invasive
I’m glad the soup helped even a little; summer colds really are the worst. Hope you’re feeling better soon. 🙂
Thanks! Soup makes everything better 🙂