soup

Foodie Confession: I don’t like ramen

September 24, 2018 by Alyssa

Ramen has exploded in popularity and is a true foodie obsession. Except with all the hype, I find ramen to be seriously underwhelming. Read on to find out why.

Austin has become a ramen-obsessed city. We have multiple restaurants solely dedicated to serving ramen and countless others that offer ramen in some sort on their menu.

There’s Jinya, Yoshi, Daruma, Michi, Kome, Ni-Kome, Peached Tortilla, Look Noodles, Kanji, and obviously Austin’s most notorious ramen, Ramen Tatsu-Ya.

Heck, Ramen Tatsu-ya is praised nation-wide as THE best ramen restaurant in the States (seriously, it is!) and has THREE locations just in Austin, not including the spinoff, Kemuri Tatsu-ya! And with all this talk about ramen, and with one of the best in our own backyard, I just can’t seem to jump on the ramen bandwagon.

Michi // 📸Jimmy Ho @thesmokingho

I know, are you shocked? I mean, I did create an Austin city guide to ‘The Best Bowls of Ramen‘

But, since I’m confessing, I might as well share that my post about Best Bowls was crowdsourced with ratings provided my hubby & his gang of buddies.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I dislike ramen so much, and it really all boils down to one reason….

Its savory broth isn’t so great

Authentic ramen is supposed to have a savory broth with a depth of flavor that’s developed by simmering ingredients over an extended period of time.

Knowing this, I go into a bowl of ramen thinking I’m about to be hit with a flavor-bomb type experience.

And I’m not.

Yoshi Ramen

In fact, when I slurp my ramen broth, I hardly taste anything. Maybe the slightest hint of something earthy but nothing that bursts my tastebuds or leaves me wanting to slurp more. The only reason I continue to eat the ramen is because I’m hoping at some point I’ll have that ‘a-ha!’ moment.

In truth, the only time I taste anything when eating ramen is after I add a heavy dose of chili paste to the broth.

Maybe my taste buds are broken? I don’t know. I just feel as if the broth is a bit….meh.

Yoshi Ramen

Now, don’t go saying, “Well you just haven’t had the right ramen yet” because I’ve tried enough ramen to feel like MY OPINION is well informed. I’ve tried Ramen Tatsu-ya plenty of times, Daruma Ramen, Kome, and Yoshi Ramen. And if Ramen Tatsu-ya is THE BEST, then I’m pretty sure my only other option is to fly to Japan and taste the ramen there. (If you’re willing to foot the bill on that flight, let me know!)

The only exception to my ‘Its savory broth isn’t so great’ statement is Kemuri Tatsu-ya’s dipping ramen — which also contains a big fatty piece of brisket — which is a non-traditional take on ramen so obviously, it doesn’t count.

But I do like the eggs!

Now that I’ve ranted about my dislike of ramen let me share what I DO like about this dish. I 100% like the Ajitsuke Tamagos (soy marinated eggs) and will happily eat a dozen of them.

When I go for ramen with <3M the only part of the meal I look forward to is consuming my egg then immediately downing his. In fact, give me all the Ajitsuke Tamagos and a crusty piece of toast with a little furikake sprinkled on top and I’d be happy.

Maybe one of the ramen shops here in Austin will be willing to add an Ajitsuke Tamago Toast to their menu? Let me know and I’ll be the first in line.

Anyone else out there feel the same way about ramen? Please tell me I’m not alone!

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Primizie Flatbread Crisps

March 29, 2018 by Alyssa

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup and Primizie Flatbread Crisps are a perfect pairing! The crisps are non-GMO, made with real ingredients, and local to Austin while adding a nice crunch to the smooth, creamy carrot soup.

I’ve been on this big kick lately to learn everything I can about GMOs and the impact they have on my health and our environment. As a result, I’ve really started to pay attention to what’s in the food I’m eating and am constantly looking for food that’s non-GMO with an ingredient list that’s simple, familiar, and made with real food.

Strangely enough, right about this time Primizie reached out to me asking if I’d like to check out their line of flatbread crisps. Of course I said yes, except I didn’t really need to try them, I was already quite familiar with Primizie (pronounced Pri’ mid tsje) as they’re locally made in Austin, sold at HEB where I regularly shop, and often end up in my cart!

The fact I love most about Primizie, is that their products, which come in a seven different flavors, are non-GMO and proudly display the non-GMO Project Verified logo on the packaging. Not only are they non-GMO verified but when you flip the bag of flatbread crisps over, the ingredient list is simple, consisting of ingredients we’re all familiar with.

Take a look at the ingredient list in the Italian Everything crisps:

Wheat flour
Sunflower oil
Seeds blend: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway, fennel, dried garlic, red pepper
Salt
Spices
Yeast

Are you shocked?

They’re all words you can pronounce, they’re all ingredients you know, and best of all, there’s no added sugar. Just plain, simple, real food that results in a deliciously crisp chip that’s perfect for snacking on it’s own, dipping into hummus or a cheese spread, or enjoying in place of croutons on a soup like I did with this Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup!

I’m a huge fan of the Primizie’s Ancient Sprouted Grains crisps, they’re truly a personal favorite! They’re so crispy, have a slight nuttiness and I love the combination of grains — sorghum, cassava, amaranth, and teff! The Ancient Sprouted Grains crisps inspired me to create this Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup which is simple, clean, and perfect for the Spring season! The ingredients in my soup, much like Primizie’s ingredients, are 100% real food. The list is short and it’s likely ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

I love this Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup for Spring in Texas when the weather’s warm but not quite gazpacho season. It’s zesty in flavor from lime juice with a hint of spice at the end. Added bonus, this soup is actually quite versatile and can even be warmed if you’d prefer! I know I enjoyed a warm bowl on a rainy Spring day when my body craved comfort food.

I enjoyed my soup by dipping the Primizie Ancient Sprouted Grains crisps into it in place of a spoon and also crushed some of the crisps on top! I loved pairing the Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup and Primizie crisps because the flatbread crisps are so crunchy and hold up well in the liquid. They add great texture to the otherwise smooth soup!

Primizie did provide me samples of their flatbread crisps but all photos and opinions in this post are my own.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

120 mins

Total time

2 hours 40 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced into ½ inch half-moons
½ medium white onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
6 tablespoons whole milk greek yogurt, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 bag Primizie Ancient Sprouted Grains flatbread crisps

Instructions

Add the olive oil and garlic to a medium size sauce pan over medium-high heat
Once warm, add the white onion and carrots, cook about 5 minutes
Add in the cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt, cook 2 minutes stirring continuously
Pour in 3¼ cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil
Reduce to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes until carrots are soft
Carefully transfer the soup to a blender, add remaining ¾ cup vegetable broth and blend on high until smooth
Remove from blender and place the pureed soup into a large mixing bowl
Whisk in the greek yogurt until smooth followed by the lime juice
To serve warm, spoon immediately into bowl add a bit of lime zest, a dollop of greek yogurt and plenty of Primizie Ancient Sprouted Grains flatbread crisps on the side
To serve cold, Refrigerate at lest 2 hours or overnight. Once chilled, spoon soup into bowls, add a bit of lime zest, a dollop of greek yogurt and plenty of Primizie Ancient Sprouted Grains flatbread crisps on the side

The Soup Peddler: Celebrating 16 Years

January 30, 2018 by Alyssa

The Soup Peddler, the OG of Austin soup and juice, is celebrating its 16th anniversary with a special Alamo Drafthouse screening and a world premier tasting of their Duck Soup!

Above: Tropicalia with mango, banana, pineapple juice, lemon, kale, spirulina and whey protein

Did you know The Soup Peddler is the OG of Austin’s soup and juice scene? The Soup Peddler was making fresh, wholesome soups, juices, and smoothies before it was cool and started as a peddle-pushing soup shop on wheels way back in 2002.

Above: Magic Carpet Ride with cherry, pistachio, tahini, sumac, Himalayan salt, banana, coconut water; African Peanut Soup

In 2010, The Soup Peddler opened up its first brick-and-mortar and from there, the business blossomed into a quirky, iconic, Austin hotspot. All this was way before the big eat-local, juice movement became the phenomenon it is today — thus making it the OG of Austin juice (or at least in my book!).

Above: The Love Cleanse withcucumber, kale, spinach, parsley, celery; The Soup Peddler Lamar Location; Veggie Chili

The Soup Peddler is celebrating its 16th anniversary on February 13th with a rare screening of its ‘2005 epic documentary The Soup Peddler’ where you can learn the backstory of The Soup Peddler himself, David Ansel, who’s become an Austin legend.

Above: Charisma, Dexterity, and Stamina Bread; Moonage Daydream with carrot, orange, apple, lemon, turmeric, ginger, cayenne

The Alamo Drafthouse screening will follow with a meet-and-greet with David Ansel and a showing of the iconic Duck Soup by the Marx Brothers. At the event, the shop will also premiere their own Duck Soup, served complimentary to all attendees.

You can grab tickets on TicketBud for less than $12 inclusive of the movie, meet-and-greet, and tasting! And best yet, all proceeds will benefit the non-profit Yellow Bike Project.