Asian Veggie Soup

Soup is one of those meals that I can't help ordering even if summer is in full swing outside. It is a staple of my diet all year long and I love to come up with some different ideas from standard chicken noodle and the Italian soups like Pasta Fagioli I ate growing up. I have tried to make Tom Yum soup a few times but I always get discouraged because it doesn't taste "right" and it takes so long and uses hard to find expensive ingredients. Sometimes its easier and cheaper just to order take out! This soup is a take on Tom Yum and other south east Asian soups but it uses  ingredients that are easier to find at the ethic market. Since I am a believer in sweating out the heat, this soup base is great for summer time!

I used boxed chicken broth to make this base but please feel free to take the homemade route and either make your own chicken stock or be even more traditional and go for a shrimp stock. If you are interested in making an authentic bowl of Tom Yum check out the directions on Chez Pim.  You can make a million different version of this soup - noodles or none, chicken, shrimp, veggies etc so feel free to add or subtract as you like...one of my favorite treats is pre-made frozen dumpings! The basic broth is really versatile and can pull together all those "why did I buy this?" ingredients that are starting to sag in the crisper drawer.

Click through for the recipe!

5/27/10 - Garlic Chili Scallop Noodles

I love all Asian food, but its always tricky when you order take-out. Sometimes its fast, hot and fresh and delicious.... and sometimes my favorite isn't open and I have to try some 'other' place and its eh... lets just say that was a failed test! When it was getting close to dinner the other night and I still hadn't started anything I began to visualize steamy hot bags of ginger scented goodness arriving (and no dishes to wash) but after the issue with the take out the other night (friends ordered some wings and it took forever and arrived ice cold...yuck!) I decided it might just be easier to make something up with whatever was hanging around. When I need something for dinner fast, seafood is a top contender, fast and easy to defrost and cooks up quickly.

I boiled up some water and finished defrosting some frozen scallops, while the pasta was cooking I cut up my veggies and got the pan hot and ready. I had a few different veggies on hand but feel free to toss more peppers, snow peas, baby corn, mushrooms etc in to make this dish even more delicious.

Garlic Chili Scallop Noodles
2 c whole wheat spaghetti- cooked
1 lb scallops - dried 
2 cloves garlic - smashed
2 shallots - diced
1/2 green pepper - diced
2 carrots - sliced thin on the bias
1 c broccoli florets
1" ginger - grated
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy
2 tsp garlic chili paste
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 red scallions - diced
1) cook the pasta according to directions - drain
2) In a large wok pan - heat up 1 tbsp oil and add shallots & garlic
3) Add carrots, green peppers, broccoli, ginger and 1 tbsp soy - cover to steam
4) In another small pan - heat remaining 1 tbsp oil
5) Add sesame seeds and toast
6) Once browned remove sesame seeds and place aside
7) Add butter and sear scallops
8) Once scallops are cooked, toss in 1 tbsp garlic chili paste
9) Add pasta and scallops to veggies - toss with remaining garlic chili paste, sesame oil, scallions and sesame seeds