Make this now!

I awoke at some ungodly hour this morning. After I watched the remainder of the 'Project Runway' episode I missed when I fell asleep last night, I channel surfed and landed on Cristina Ferarre's 'Big Bowl of Love' on the Oprah Winfrey Network (remember John DeLorean? she was married to him!). I'd never watched it before, but she made an Udon Noodle Bowl soup that I was absolutely compelled to make. After my 7:30am oil change appointment, I went straight to the grocery store to pick up the necessary ingredients. I love it! I changed up a couple of things: added diced raw chicken while heating stock, added a package of frozen edamame I bought on a whim in lieu of peas, added carrots and scallions while cooking and omitted the cilantro. It's delightfully fresh and comforting. I'm pretty sure it's super healthy too! The only things I'd change would be to cut the udon noodles (I'm sure slurping the long strands adds to the charm and authenticity, but the small puddles of soup everywhere put my OCD on high alert) and add cilantro at the end for freshness and a bit of crunchy texture (in addition to sesame seeds - a must!).

Photos a la P-Dub!