This is a version of a vegetarian pho broth. You'll need a yellow onion, fresh ginger root, sesame oil, 3 leeks, 3 carrots, a big radish or 3 little ones, 1 garlic clove, 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass (or dried lemongrass if you're in a pinch), fennel (bulb and stalks), pinch of cloves, pinch of cinnamon, a handful of shiitake mushrooms, 1 cup of vegetarian vegetable broth, a little bit of cilantro, and some soba noodles (optional - I like the buckwheat sweet potato soba noodles that are very thin and light, like your basic spaghetti noodle).
Broil the chopped up onion and ginger together. While that's broiling, heat the oil in a large saucepan and stir fry the leeks, carrots, garlic, radishes, cinnamon, lemongrass, fennel, and mushrooms about 5 minutes until tender. Add the ginger and onions, broth, cilantro, and noodles, bring to a boil and then simmer about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Cool and enjoy. Light, refreshing and satisfying!
For drinks, I have two - one for those who prefer sweet and one for those who don't:
1. Sweet
Blend a couple slices of watermelon, lime juice, 1/2 a jalepeno, and a pinch of stevia with a bit of ice. Toss in a mint sprig and...if you want to turn it into a party, tequila to taste.
2. Not So Sweet
Blend a cucumber, bit of lemon juice, a small fennel bulb and then add club soda and stir (putting club soda in the blender will just make everything explode everywhere so don't do that). Happy hour time? Add limoncello!
Enjoy!