A Mushroom Noodle Stew with Wanderlust
A dark, savory fall feast-in-a-bowl inspired by geographically-disparate favorites
I’m taking it as a sign that not one, but two of my culinary heroes (Yotam Ottolenghi and Samin Nosrat) have shared recipes for ash e reshteh, an Iranian noodle, herb and bean stew, in the last couple of weeks. Ottolenghi’s version, which keeps the noodles to the side and includes a fragrant mint oil, is both familiar and tantalizingly new to my (admittedly American) palate. Nosrat steers things in a more traditional direction, calling for both kashk (Persian yogurt) and reshteh (Persian soup noodles.)
Over here at Spotted Dog Farm, the cooler weather has me in mind of savory, hearty flavors. I’d been mulling a smoky mushroom stew; I also had a bag of beautiful black chickpeas in my cupboard calling my name and a pot of rosemary in the greenhouse, vivid and fragrant.
What ultimately came together for dinner can claim culinary roots in at least three places: any number of Eastern European dishes that bring buckwheat, mushrooms, and paprika together; that Iranian soup that seems to be in the zeitgeist; and more Japanese-style soups with soba noodles.
In keeping with this week’s solar plexus theme (will + identity), I encourage you, too, to mix and match flavors, throwing the culinary rule book out the window to create what you enjoy.
Mushroom Soba Stew with Chickpeas and Spinach (Serves 6)
Ingredients:
2 pounds cremini mushrooms (or your favorite mushroom)
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 T olive oil
3 cups fresh or frozen spinach
6 cups water (plus more to boil the noodles)
3 bundles (600g, or 6 servings) buckwheat soba noodles
3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned, or cooked from 1 c dried)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 1/2 t dried
1 t smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
2 T fresh or 2 t dried parsley
.5 - 1 t black pepper
2 T cornstarch (optional)
Directions:
Clean and slice the mushrooms. If they’re especially dirty, it is absolutely okay to give them a quick rinse - just don’t soak them.
Peel and thinly slice the onions.
Add 2 T oil to a heavy pot and add the mushrooms and onions. You’re going to want to cook these until most of the liquid has left the mushrooms - and then a little longer (you really can’t overcook mushrooms), stirring frequently. When everything seems done, add the minced garlic and stir for another few minutes.
Add the water, vegetable base, chickpeas, paprika, parsley, bay leaf, rosemary (you can put the whole sprig in there - just remember to fish it out later!) and half teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a simmer for about half an hour.
While the soup is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to boil and cook the soba noodles according to package directions. (I always like to cook noodles separately for noodle soups - they can get pretty mushy.) After cooking, drain and rinse in cold water.
If you desire a more stew-like soup, make a slurry of the cornstarch and 2 T water. Stir into the soup and cook for a few minutes more, until slightly thickened.
Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. I like more pepper in winter for its warming qualities, but let your taste buds and stomach be your guide.
To serve, add one serving of soba noodles to a bowl and top with about 1.5 cups soup. Garnish as desired - I like a little yogurt or sour cream.
Enjoy while imagining your favorite international winter escape.
Nutrition information per serving (approximate): 420 calories, 9 g fat, 70 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein, 9 g dietary fiber
Below: Audio version of this post and recipe PDF
Sounds amazing! I'm going to try it with frozen kale since I don't have spinach. Thank you for sharing this.