Chickpea Noodle Soup (AKA-My Best Soup Ever)

Remember back to your childhood (if you weren't a vegan), and recall that whenever you were freezing cold from playing in the snow all day, or feeling sick, someone made you chicken noodle soup. HAHA! I was the picky kid that only at the broth and the noodles, but still, that soup was comfort for my belly. Today, I needed the equivalent of a warm hug for my tummy, so, I set to work making what just so happened to be the "Best Soup Ever." And I am not using that term lightly. It fucking rocks my life.

This chickpea noodle soup has a bit of everything: carrots, onion, garlic, edamame, chickpeas, mushrooms, chopped snow peapods, noodles and lots of tasty spices. You can't go wrong. Or, well, I should say that I can't go wrong. Or didn't go wrong. Whatever. Leave me alone! Just add a bit of whatever you have, and it should be fine. I know, I know, it seems like a lot of spices, but it tastes excellent.

This recipe makes enough for 4 large bowls of vegan comfort. Even better is that it takes no time at all. 30 minutes or thereabouts!

Ingredients:

• 1 TB olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 large onion diced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10-15 snow pea pods, ends removed, and shopped into bite-sized pieces
• 4oz fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly (I used white buttons)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (I used soaked/cooked, but you could use 1 can drained)
• 1 cup frozen edamame
• 3-4oz lo-mein noodles, broken into 1/3rds (about 1/3 of a 12oz package)
• 2-4 tsp Braggs liquid aminos
• 2-3 TB mellow white miso (optional, but recommended)
• 1/2 tsp (or more) black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp parsley flakes
• 1/8 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp crushed rosemary (crushed between your fingers as you sprinkle it in)
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

 Method:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Let heat 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, peapods and onion, and stir occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 6-7 minutes. 
3. Now add the garlic, mushroom, red pepper flakes and 1 TB of braggs along with 1 TB of the broth. Mix and let simmer about 2 minutes.
4. Now add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the miso and noodles. Stir well and turn heat to medium-high for about 15 minutes to bring soup to a boil. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings, though I don't recommend adding any salt because the miso you add at the end is quite salty.
5. Gently stir in the lo-mein noodles. Cover the pot and reduce heat to medium. Let gently boil for about 5 minutes. Now stir in your miso 1 TB at a time and taste as you go. You may want to add more or further adjust your other seasonings. Cook another 1 minute to absorb the miso and you're done.

How easy was that? Too easy. And if you think that was hard, then bugger off.