vegetarian

Really, is there anything more satisfying and comforting than ramen? Those packets of ramen we ate as an after-school snack in middle school and in college aren’t just great because they’re so cheap, I honestly think they’re so good. The long, chewy noodles mixed with that sodium-laden flavor packet is really unlike anything else. Now I’ve realized that ramen you might find in a restaurant is like an art form. Each component of it requires knowledge and skill, like the handmade noodles and making a broth that can take hours, even days to prepare. What I make is so far from that, but it’s like an upgrade from the microwave ramen. You still get the satisfying experience of springy egg noodles, a salty umami soup, and even some veg. A crispy fried egg on top rounds it all out, as crispy eggs always do.

I make this soup frequently on weeknights, especially when I’m craving that comfort or have some veggies looming in the back of the fridge I need to use up. Mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, spinach, kale, raddish, broccoli, even roasted squash work. Just throw in what you’ve got during the last few minutes of cooking.

Some key ingredients for me are really just some miso and/or veggie broth (from the carton or using bouillon paste). You could also fry up some ~aromatics~ like the classic trio of garlic, onion (or scallions, or shallots), and ginger. If you’re using those guys just cook them up in some oil (sesame oil would be especially good here), then add the liquid and miso, then add your noodles. Cooking with egg and rice noodles is also great because they each take less than 10 minutes to cook. If you’ve used water, you could also add a splash of soy sauce right before you take everything off the heat to add even more flavor. You’ll have yourself a hot bowl of noodles in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients

water/vegetable broth (carton or bouillon paste)
miso paste (~1 tablespoon)
vegetables
egg (or whatever protein you prefer)
oil (olive oil, canola, or sesame)
ginger (~1 inch piece, peeled, finely chopped)
garlic (1 clove, sliced)
onion/shallot/white part of scallions (~1 tablespoon, finely chopped)
soy sauce (if desired, a splash)
toppings: scallions, sesame seeds, cilantro, chili flakes

Do it

If using, peel and chop ginger and onion finely. Peel and chop garlic into thin slices.
In a small pot, heat a good amount of oil over medium-low heat. Once the oil is warmed, add the ginger, onion, and garlic. Fry for about a minute, watching for any browning or burning, as these ingredients can burn easily. If using mushrooms, add them here and brown them with the aromatics.
Once ginger, onion, and garlic are fragrant, add about three cups (or enough for you serving size) of liquid. Add miso or bouillon paste if using either/both. Let heat on medium heat so pastes can dissolve. Note: avoid bringing miso paste to a boil, as it diminishes the awesome health benefits of miso! 🙂
When pastes dissolve, add a serving of noodles, let them cook in the broth until softened.
While noodles are cooking, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is HOT, add a generous amount of oil to coat the pan, then crack the egg into the oil. The egg will ideally bubble and might splatter a bit, so just be careful of the hot oil.
After the noodles have cooked, add the vegetables and stir until vegetables are cooked, but still tender (not too wilty). This should take just a minute or so, depending on the vegetable.
Pour into a bowl, top, and shlurp.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Considering it’s peak tomato season, I thought I should make something that highlights how delicious they are right now. Eating produce that’s in-season means it will taste amazing and cost less– it doesn’t get better than that. I don’t even like raw tomatoes that much, but when roasted, they are so good. I promise, even if you don’t like tomatoes either, you should try them roasted. Their flavor completely transforms to taste like how you find them on top of a margherita pizza or in tomato sauce. Roasting with just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil and then simmering the tomatoes makes this recipe really easy, simple, and hands-off. You just put them in the oven and let them do their thing. When they’re simmering, you can just leave it on low heat for however long you have time for and while you’re preparing other things. You can get so much flavor without doing anything fancy or difficult.

I also usually opt for black beans or chickpeas, but for this recipe I mixed it up and used white beans. They have a really nice mild flavor and absorb other flavors well. I combined them with the roasted tomatoes and let them simmer with vegetable stock to create a delicious, simple, and summery dish to pair with greens and rice. In my opinion, garlic will make anything taste good, so sautéing my greens with some fresh garlic makes this recipe even better. It’s an optional step (you could just leave the greens raw) but the garlic complements the beans and tomatoes really well. You could also eat it with pasta or mixed with any other grain you like. This recipe gives me major Italian-inspired vibes and felt way fancier than it really is. I hope you give it a try!

roasted tomatoes with white beans and garlicky greens

Author: Lea Kriesberg

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 5

Roasted tomatoes and white beans make a flavorful and filling summery dish. It gives me Italian-inspired vibes.

Ingredients

4 large tomatoes*
2 cans white beans
1 can vegetable stock
1/2 white onion
5 cloves garlic (or use garlic powder)
brown rice
greens (I used collard greens but you could use spinach, kale, or anything else)
nutritional yeast/cheese (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Boil a pot of water for the rice. When the water is boiled, add the rice and simmer until the water is absorbed or until the rice is cooked.
Chop your tomatoes into chunks (not too small). If you’re using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half or leave them whole.
Drizzle the tomatoes with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to make sure everything is coated.
Place the tomatoes in a pan (preferably one with sides because the tomatoes will release some juice) and place in the oven for around 20 minutes or until they are slightly shriveled and juicy.
While the tomatoes are roasting, chop up the onion and garlic.
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, throw in the onion and cook until it is fragrant and translucent, then put in the chopped garlic. Stir it around so it doesn’t burn. Garlic burns easily so if it starts to get brown too quickly, turn down the heat.
When the tomatoes are done in the oven, add them to the pot with the onion and garlic. Add the vegetable stock and white beans. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium-low so that it is simmering. It might look too liquidy, but just let it simmer in the pot for at least 20 minutes (this allows some of the liquid to evaporate so it will get more thick and stew-like).
Season with more salt, pepper, and garlic powder if needed
While the tomatoes and beans are simmering, prepare the greens. Chop up a few more cloves of garlic.**
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir it around so it doesn’t burn. After about a minute, add in the greens until they are bright green and softened. This will only take around 3 minutes.
When the tomato and bean mixture is simmered to your liking, add to a bowl with the rice and greens. Top with a little bit of nutritional yeast or cheese for something extra

Notes

*I used a mix of large tomatoes and little cherry tomatoes. You could do all big tomatoes or all cherry tomatoes or a mix.[br]**You can quickly prepare the greens right before you want to eat or cook up a whole bunch of greens to keep for the whole week. I used collard greens, which are a bit more tough so they keep better throughout the week. For something lighter like spinach, I would probably cook right before so it doesn’t get too soft. Adjust how much garlic you use depending on how much greens you’re cooking (and how much garlic you like).