In the most shocking turn of events since it snowed in Pittsburgh in January, a whole bunch of you mentioned "Chicken Noodle Soup" as your go-to meal when treating the sickies in your house.
I was hoping you'd say that!
Did you ever stop to think what vegetarians eat when they're sick?
Well, just pretend you have because I have and I have the answer.
Chicken Noodle Soup.
Without the chicken.
No, seriously. A good soup recipe is a good soup recipe. I can substitute out the bird and end up with a really fantastic soup that happens to have significantly less fat and fewer calories than the original. It doesn't necessarily taste like Chicken Noodle Soup exactly, but I'd say it's better. The focus is on getting the herbs right, which means the hearty vegetables end up taking center stage. It has all the warmth and coziness you want when you're sick, but it's lighter. Friendlier. Less birdy.
It's just plain yummy.
Vegetarian Chicken (-Less) Noodle Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 bay leaves
4 teaspoons thyme (about 8 sprigs if using fresh)
1 package extra firm tofu, chopped and drained
2 32-oz boxes vegetable broth (not tomato-based -- look for one that is primarily root vegetables)
1 12-oz bag of dried extra wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon dried chopped parsley (about 3 tablespoons fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1. Prep the tofu. Start by chopping it into little squares and draining the liquid. Then take four paper towels and fold them in half on top of a plate. Put the tofu on top of the paper towels. Place a few more paper towels on top of the tofu and then put a plate on top of the whole thing. Press firmly for a minute or two. The process gets some of the liquid out and helps the tofu cook better.
2. Place the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme in a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until softened. The goal is to cook the vegetables, not brown them, so make sure you stir as needed.
3. Place the noodles and broth in a large saucepan. Cook on medium high heat for about five minutes. I know they're not done. They will be by the time we add the vegetables and tofu, though. Let's avoid mushy noodles, mmkay?
4. Dump the vegetables into the broth and keep cooking those noodles.
5. Place the tofu in your skillet (it should still have olive oil from the veggies) and sauté it lightly for one or two minutes. Again, you don't want to brown it, just make sure it is cooked.
6. Put the tofu in with the noodles. By now your noodles should be perfectly cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add your parsley.
Alexis seriously loves this soup. Of course, she loves vegetables and she loves tofu and she loves egg noodles, so it makes sense that she's a happy camper when I make it. She might even try to fake sick once in a while so she can try to convince me to conjure up a little Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup.
I'm working with Mucinex and BlogHer on a series of posts about dealing with the sick, so now would probably a good time to mention that there is another giveaway at the end of this post. First, though, a little something about Mucinex.
Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold
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Children’s Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold is my friend, and it can be yours too. Go here to print a $2 off coupon!
Got it? Got it!
Now for your chance to win a id="mce_marker"00 CVS gift card. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what you're willing to fake sick to get. Alexis will do it for this soup, but maybe you dare to dream bigger? A day at the beach? To stand in line for a movie opening? Whatever it is, leave your comment.
The rules!
No duplicate comments.
You may receive 1 total entry by leaving a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/6/2013 – 3/31/2013
Be sure to visit the Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!