Spicy Black Bean Noodle Broth
A simple noodle broth that’s flavoursome and rich. Blending black beans into the base of the soup gives give the soup a lovely thick texture that is silky and smooth.
This recipe is as speedy as it is tasty. Taking under 20 minutes it’s my go to for a lazy nextflix recipe. It comes together in no time at all and provides maximum flavour for minimum effort. I love slurping the thick ramen noodles with the salty broth.
And this recipe is super flexible. I use the base broth with the black beans and mushrooms and just toss in anything I want with it. In the recipe picture I’ve added coriander and spring onions but there’s a whole host of combinations that you can try. If you’re feeling like you need some more greens, why not wilt a few bok choi in the broth before serving. Or you can top the soup with a few crunchy fresh veg match-sticked or finely diced, I like to use carrots, parsnips or turnips.
When to eat
This is a dish that you can eat year round. I tend to throw in different veg depending on the season. Have fun and play around with seasonal ingredients!
Spicy Black Bean Noodle Broth
This meal is around 78% less polluting than the average UK meal.
Eating this recipe will save around 2.28 KG CO2e per person.
That’s equivalent to the emissions produced driving 18.82 KM in a modern car.
How do I calculate this?Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Brown/White Miso Paste
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion Onion
- 2 (400g) Cans Black Beans
- 2 Teaspoons Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- 3 Teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 750 ml Vegetable Stock
- 100 g Ramen Noodles
- 1 Lime Lime
- 400 g Assorted Mushrooms (Chestnut, Shitake, Oyster)
- 2 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil
Instructions
- Peel and finely dice your garlic and onion. Then roughly slice your assorted mushrooms into 1/2 cm lengths.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan over a medium heat. Toss in the chilli flakes and toast for a minute. Then pour in your onion and garlic and fry for 3 minutes or so until the onion is soft and see-through.
- Add your mushrooms to the pan with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Fry for 3 – 5 minutes until the mushrooms have nicely reduced and browned. Then remove 1/2 the mushrooms and reserve for later.
- Add one of the cans of black beans to the pan, along with the miso paste, five spice, garlic powder, vinegar, remaining soy sauce and sugar. Cook for a minute or two, mixing to coat the onion in the spice mixture.
- Take the pan off the heat and pour into a blender. Blitz into a smooth paste and then return to the pan along with the vegetable stock. (Note: depending on your blender you may have to cook your mixture before blitzing to prevent unwanted kitchen explosions. If this is the case cool the pan in the bath off cold/ice water before blending)
- Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil. Tip in the noodles and turn down to a simmer, cook the noodles to packet instructions until soft but still aldente.
- Add the remaining can of black beans and reserved mushrooms, cook for a few minutes more just to heat through the beans and mushrooms. Take the pan off the heat and juice the lime into the pan. Season the broth to taste with a dash or two more of soy sauce.
- Serve the broth in deep soup bowl and garnish with whatever takes your fancy and is in your pantry/fridge. I tend to reach for coriander and spring onions when plating, but some other things that I’ve found work well are – finely sliced raw carrot and ginger or watercress and bean sprouts.