Then, I started to think about what would I have in my dream kitchen. There are a few things that I would love to have but most of all, I would love a high quality 6-burner gas range. I’m in love with so many from BlueStar, like this one or this one. We currently have an electric range, which I don’t want to say I hate because it’s what I have now and I am grateful but come on, who doesn’t want a gas range? I became a little spoiled at our prior house because it had a beautiful gas range. It was almost like I had to learn to cook all over again when we moved to our current house. Ok, I know that’s a little dramatic, but it really is totally different. Electric stoves take so long to heat up and when you add veggies or pasta to boiling water the water stops boiling and takes the time to come back to a boil. That doesn’t happen with a gas range so you are less likely to lose nutrients to the water while cooking. A range with open burners is awesome because there are no hotspots on your pans which happens to me all the time and I am constantly having to turn my pans. What would you like in your dream kitchen?
*This is not a paid advertisement and the opinions expressed here are my own.
I enjoyed this soup with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc but it would also go great with a Riesling, Pinot Gris or a nice Sake.
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sesame Soba Noodle Soup
Broth
- 4 Red Bell Peppers – roasted – deseeded – destemmed – pureed
- 1/2 White Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
- 4 Cups Filtered Water
- 1/2 Cup + 3 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup Tamari Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger – peeled – microplaned
- 1 – 2 Serrano Chilis – optional
Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Shallots – about 1 tablespoon – minced
- 1 Cloves Garlic – minced
- 2 Cups Shiitake – thinly sliced
The Rest – You can add or subtract any vegetable you want.
- 1 Cup Basil – whole or roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro – whole or roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Green Onion – thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Red Cabbage – minced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – cut into thin strips
- Scallion Micro Sprouts – or your choice
- Black Sesame Seeds
- Lime Wedges
- 1 Package Soba Noodles
Other garnish ideas
- Radish
- Carrots
- Avocado
Instructions
Roasted pepper sesame sauce
Char peppers on all sides turning with tongs. When good and charred, steam for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut so the steam won’t escape.
Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char. Slice in half and remove the seeds and stems. Cut the peppers into smaller pieces and mix with toasted sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, tamari sauce, sea salt, Serrano chilis and ginger and puree with an immersion blender or a food processor. Set aside.
Add the onions to a large pot or Dutch oven with the olive oil and saute on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking for 5 – 7 more minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Add the white wine and cook until wine is reduced and syrupy. Add the sauce to the onions and blend with an immersion blender or dump everything in batches into a food processor and puree all together. Set aside
Broth – Mushrooms
Put the 4 cups of water and mushroom stems in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
While stem broth is cooking, thinly slice mushroom tops and set aside in a bowl.
When stem broth is done, remove from heat and strain into red pepper sauce. Discard stems. Set aside until you start the noodles.
Next mince shallots, add to a sauté pan on medium heat, saute with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil until soft and golden. Make sure to stir frequently. (about 6 – 8 minutes)
Add mushrooms and sprinkle lightly with salt, stir until moisture is gone. (about 15 to 20 minutes) Make sure to stir
Add the minced garlic to the mushrooms in about 10 minutes after mushrooms are halfway cooked.
Veggies
While mushrooms are cooking prep the green onions, cabbage, bell pepper, basil, cilantro.
Noodles and Serving
Health Benefits:
Red Bell Peppers are matured green bell peppers and have more nutrition as they mature. They are super high in vitamin A which helps to support healthy eyesight, especially night vision and are extremely high in vitamin C, so much so they have twice as much as an orange which makes it really good for the skin. Red peppers are one of the highest veggies in lycopene, and have been successfully tested in the prevention of many cancers. They have a good source of the antioxidant mineral manganese and B-complex and vitamin E. They help reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol, helps controls diabetes and helps reduce pain. They are also a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, molybdenum and manganese.
