Friday, October 5, 2012

Apples a surprising and
delicious ingredient in noodle soup

I’ve tried several great Asian-style broth and noodle soup recipes, but never any that called for apples.
    That’s why the recipe for Pork, Apple & Miso Noodle Soup (click for the recipe) stopped me dead in my reading tracks while I was looking at a recent issue of Eating Well magazine.
    Apples? Recipes like these usually call for bok choy, Chinese cabbage, or other such greens.
    I found it intriguing, and so I tried it.
     It was very, very good.
    The apples could be tasted in the soup, but it was not an unusual sensation. Rather, they added a bit of fresh tang.
    The recipe calls for udon noodles, which sometimes cannot be found in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. In Superstore in Canada, for example, they are located in the deli section, and at other supermarkets I have seen them in the produce section with other fresh noodles.
    The recipe also calls for white miso, which is surprising because it looks pale red! Make sure to check on the label that is white miso that you are buying.
    The soup was so amazingly easy to make. I made it myself, and it took only about half an hour to prepare without rushing or feeling stressed. It’s an ideal weeknight meal.
    Ground pork and apples are cooked in a large saucepan or soup pot. Reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used store-bought) and water are added and brought to a boil. The udon noodles are added and cooked according to package directions (the ones I bought called boiling them for three minutes).
    When the noodles are almost done, ½ cup of cooking liquid is scooped out of the pot and combined with the miso (I stirred it until the lumps of miso were completely “dissolved” into the liquid). The miso mixture is stirred into the soup, which is then removed from the heat.
    Serve immediately.


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