
Ramen, the Japanese noodle soup that has swept the nation, isn’t going away any time soon. And we don’t want it to! But there are some seriously tasty noodle soups out there that aren’t getting their fair share of the spotlight. Let’s remedy that. From China to Thailand to Vietnam, here are the contenders for your new favorite noodle soup. You’re welcome.
1. Face Numbing Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle: These dan dan noodles get their numbing powers from a healthy dose of green peppercorns. Both extremely tasty and slightly painful ;) (via Lady and Pups)
2. Spicy Thai Curry Noodle Soup: This dish is a version of the Northern Thai curry, Khao Soi. With turmeric, ginger, garlic and broth as some of the main ingredients, you might want an extra helping to ward off any cold weather illnesses. (via Hapanom)
3. Sesame Soba Noodle Soup With Shiitakes, Snap Peas and Tofu: We’re not afraid to loudly slurp this Japanese-inspired, vegetable-forward soup with buckwheat soba noodles. (via Feasting at Home)
4. Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup: Every time it rains, snows or is even a little bit chilly outside, we crave wonton noodle soup. The same applies for when it’s not any of those things outside. (via The Woks of Life)
5. Mi Vit Quay (Roast Duck Noodle Soup): There’s no way you’ll miss ramen when you have this soup that features a giant roasted duck leg, chewy egg noodles and some crunchy Chinese broccoli. (via Food Affair Vietnam)
6. Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup: A little heat from Korean red pepper flakes balances the rich beef broth in this satisfying Korean soup with glass noodles. (via Jeanette’s Healthy Living)
7. Bo Bun Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Noodle Soup): Bo Bun Hue isn’t as widely known as its sister soup, pho. If you like pho, this soup is going to be your jam. It has a more delicate flavor thanks to the lemongrass. (via i am a food blog)
8. Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup: Make the beefy stock and sauce in this soup in advance before tackling the rest. Once that’s done, all you have to do is cook the noodles. (via Curious Nut)
9. Mexican Chicken (or Chickpea) Noodle Soup: It only takes a quick half hour to make this Mexican Noodle Soup. Substitute chickpeas for chicken as a hearty vegetarian option. (via Feasting at Home)
10. Seolleongtang (Beef Bone Soup): The creamy white color of this broth is a result of cooking down beef bones for several hours. It’s the perfect dish to simmer on a lazy Sunday afternoon as you take care of household chores and recharge. (via Korean Bapsang)
11. Budae Jjigae: Budae jjigae is infamous/famous for its incorporation of hot dogs, spam and instant ramen noodles. Also called “army stew,” it originated shortly after the Korean War because of food scarcity. You’ll understand why it’s still popular today, especially after a few drinks. (via Cherry on My Sundae)
12. Pho: We love pho so much, we’ll skip the pho-related pun. There’s some prep work involved here, but the end result is a meaty broth full of spice. This is the winter sustenance you need. (via The Woks of Life)
13. Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup: Though Lanzhou noodles are traditionally hand-pulled, you can use Chinese wheat-based noodles found in the refrigerated section of your local Chinese grocer. This noodle soup is best enjoyed slurped. (via The Woks of Life)
14. Thai Boat Noodles: Most people living in Thailand can find this dish prepared for them right on the street. Unfortunately for us non-Thai residents, we have to cook it ourselves at home. It’s well worth it — and saves you a trip to Thailand. (via She Simmers)
15. Bún Thang (Vietnamese Noodle Soup With Chicken, Pork & Egg): This might be the Vietnamese version of chicken soup for the soul. Thang, roughly translated, refers to a medicinal bag of dried herbs or a “prescription.” You definitely don’t need a prescription to eat this soup — just a healthy appetite! (via Hungry Huy)
16. Red Miso Udon With Onsen Tomago: The key to this soup is a meticulously poached egg (onsen tomago), or just a regular one. Either way it’s delicious! (via The Yum Yum Factor)
17. Korean-Chinese Spicy Veggie Noodle Soup: With a combination of vegetable broth and Korean chili flakes, this soup makes for a meal that will warm you up without weighing you down. (via Season With Spice)
18. Vegan Udon Noodle Soup With Chili Lime Roasted Tofu: A squeeze of lime adds depth and acidity to this noodle soup. Pour the broth over your greens when serving to leave your veggies that just-cooked crunch. (via Dancing Through Sunday)
Ready to cook a new noodle soup? Tell us which soup you can’t wait to try in the comments!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures