Soup in a Blizzard

A mix of food and medicine today. I recently met some of the upper surgical brass at Brigham and Women's Hospital here in Boston, and I left with a warm feeling. Anytime I have the opportunity to actually get to know attending surgeons who work with the residents at a hospital, I am impressed. I usually leave thinking, "Sure, I can see myself here." Then I go home and add that place to The List.

The thing about The List is, it's a fickle business. Anything can cause me to drop a residency from The List at a moment's notice (and it usually has to do with the weather). Thirty-five straight days of rain in Seattle? University of Washington takes a nosedive. Windchill of -10 degrees in Chicago? Ouch, Northwestern. Twenty-seven inches of snow in Boston? Bye-bye, Brigham.

So I left the Brigham hospital saying, "Boston, ain't that bad." And then I walked outside and got smacked in the face by a 40 mph gust of frigid air. It was 15 degrees Fahrenheit and blustery.

I said, "NOPE!"

To cheer me up, I found this amazing recipe online, since I felt soup was in order. It is a very hearty soup (which is the only kind I like) that will hit the spot on a cold day. I modified some of the ingredients so they are cheaper and easier to find in your run-in-the-mill grocery store. It serves 4-5, and takes about 30-40 minutes to make. Quick and delish. Enjoy!


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms, ¼-inch thick (2 cups)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 6.5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 6 ounces pappardelle noodles (I used wide flat egg noodles; see picture above)
• 1.5 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Half cup mascarpone cheese
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley (I went with dried parsley and it worked just fine)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon

Steps

1. Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, then broth. Cover, and bring to a boil. Set aside 1/2 cup broth, then add noodles; simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green beans, and simmer for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk mascarpone into the reserved 1/2 cup hot broth in bowl. Slowly stir mascarpone mixture into soup. The mascarpone is stirred into this noodle soup just before serving to give it a luscious creaminess and cheesy tang.

3. Garnish each bowl with parsley, 1 garlic clove, and a quartered lemon (squeezed). Serve immediately.