Crispy salmon & garlic broccoli noodle soup (+ Marlborough!)

I love to leave the skin on when I'm pan searing salmon. There's lots of goodness in the skin and as long as you hit it with a good amount of heat in the pan, it'll go gorgeously crispy. I use a homemade broth for this dish but you could use a good quality store bought one (opt for low salt if possible as the tamari will add extra salt too). I add kimchi because, well, I'm obsessed with it on everything but also because it effortlessly bring tons of flavour to the broth. Adding a slightly sour note that balances out the rich salmon. 

My nerdy time-saving note would be to consider having a couple of heads of broccoli pre-chopped and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. You'll have them in the pan within seconds. I'm loving noodle lunches at the moment so will cook double batches and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Make sure you rinse the noodles you're saving under cold water before storing so that they don't go mushy.

If you're looking for a lower carb option to noodles, go with zucchini noodles, spiralized carrots or kelp noodles.

I hope you'll give this one a go. It's full of delicious cosy goodness! Kelly xo

Crispy salmon & garlic broccoli noodle soup

Serves 2

750ml chicken or vegetables broth

1 small head broccoli - cut into florets

1 large garlic clove - finely diced

100g rice noodles (this is a rough approximation. You'll possibly want slightly more if you use a thick noodle and slightly less if using vermicelli)

150g fillet fresh salmon - cut into 4 cm chunks (skin on)

Tamari

Coconut oil or ghee for sautéing

To serve: kimchi, black or white sesame seeds, finely chopped spring onion

Heat the broth in a saucepan until boiling hot. Keep warm and set aside until ready to use.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain when ready and set aside.

Heat a generous glug of oil over a medium heat in a sauté pan (preferably one with a lid). Add the  broccoli and cook, moving regularly, for 4 minutes. Allow some tips to brown slightly. Add the garlic and a small splash of water and place a lid on quickly, allowing the steam to cook in for a further 2 minutes. Remove the lid and toss well. Remove from the pan and set aside. It's important to move quickly so nothing goes cold!

Add extra oil to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the salmon skin-side down. All this to crisp for 2 minutes before turning. Let it cook and brown for a further minute on each side. Remove from the heat and add a splash or two of tamari (the pan will sizzle and spit - be careful!). Toss the salmon in the tamari to season it.

To serve: Divide the broth and noodles between two bowls. Add the broccoli and kimchi. Top with the salmon, sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve immediately.