{Long noodles cooked in aromatic broth with young spring vegetables, basil, and crispy tofu.}

I know a long life noodle from a curse you to an early death noodle any day of the week — and these my friends are like if that pool from the movie Cocoon made noodles too.  Magic.  I also believe in the mighty power of suggestion and all jokes aside, whenever I see these on a menu, it’s one order for me please thank you.  Spring is my favorite time of year for food, everything grows in such abundance that certain vegetables are often harvested when they are young and at their most tender.

Earlier in the week I made some delicious chicken broth using ginger and chilies so when I saw all the sweet organic veggies at the market my mind began to wander, and then all I needed was noodles.  There’s a tiny market nearby that make homemade vermicelli that they don’t cut; it’s simply folded over and then packaged.  Each strand is about three feet long and is so delicately thin that cooking them within a broth is perfect.

{Baby leeks, bok choy & fennel, red chard for color and nutrients, young garlic & ginger, basil, a squeeze of lime, and splash of soy.}

I was craving tofu so I prepared some to add to the noodles:

1 package extra firm tofu
peanut oil

Slice tofu into cubes and then fry them in about 1/8 inch of peanut oil until just golden and crisp around the edges. Set aside until the noodles are ready.

{Add the tofu just before serving for an extra layer of flavor and texture.}

Here is what I used for life extension du Jour:

2 baby leeks, well cleaned and sliced
2 baby fennels, sliced
2 baby bok choy, sliced lengthwise
1 small bunch red chard, just use the leafy parts roughly chopped
1 whole baby garlic, cleaned and chopped, also using the green stalks
young ginger, about 2″ minced
basil, a handful roughly chopped
1 package long thin noodles
chicken broth (or vegetable or fish…yum)
sriracha chili sauce
lime slices and soy for serving

Once you have all the ingredients assembled and chopped, this couldn’t be easier to prepare. In a wok, heat a small amount of oil, add all the veggies (except the basil) and stir fry until just tender. Pour in the broth so it’s about 4 inches from the top and bring to a boil.

Add a squirt of the chili sauce, and the noodles. Don’t worry about salt because you’ll add soy to each bowl when you eat. Turn down the heat to a simmer, add a handful of fresh basil, and test the noodles.  They will cook quickly absorbing the broth so test them right away and turn off the heat as soon as they are ready.

{Use as much broth as you like, I wanted extra to slurp up and drink from the bowl.}

Serve each bowl topped with a squeeze of lime, a swirl or soy, a scattering of tofu (remember those?), fresh basil sprigs, and optional extra chili sauce. This was such a delicious Sunday lunch, I think it slowly took me about an hour to eat I was savoring every flavor so much.

Before I go drop off the dry cleaning, Noosh has something to show you:
{It really is the perfect pale pink, wouldn’t you agree?}

One person who could not possibly be less impressed by Noosh and his silly nose, is Max, however.  His duties manning our house’s complex system of faucets occupies most of his time these days.

{Clean paws are a virtue, he’s the foreman, on a miniature fuzzy crusade — ridiculous in his own rite.}

{tags long life noodles spring vegetable noodle recipe}