Mushroom, Miso, Tofu Noodle Soup

One of  my dear friends who is now in Hong Kong sent me a packet of miso paste (among other goodies!!). I have heard a lot about miso and even had it in a lovely miso soup in a Japanese restaurant called Ai in South Delhi. The umami flavour it imparts to a dish is amazing.

Miso is made out of fermented soybeans, salt and the same bacteria which is used in making soy sauce and sake. This bacteria, I coincidentally found out, boosts the good flora required for digestion in the intestinal tract - which means its particularly good for me! It is also supposed to be good for the immune system - so perfect to keep those sniffles away just when they are about to begin. Read more here.

I used mushrooms, spinach and tofu to make a very flavourful vegetable miso soup and added noodles so it became a nice one pot meal. Perfect for a cold, winter's day but light enough for the summer as well. The miso did really add a very unmistakable flavour to the soup and left you wanting for more - I suggest larger quantities next time!

Mushroom, Miso and Tofu, Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Sustainable Pantry)

   

Miso paste – 1 tbsp

Spinach – 1 cup sliced into small strips

Carrot -1,  sliced into rounds

Mushrooms – 100gms, sliced

Tofu – 100gms, cubed

Noodles -150gms (I used egg noodles, you could use Udon or Soba)

Onion – 1 medium , sliced

Spring onions – 2 sliced (white part, reserve green for garnish)

Ginger – 1” piece, minced

Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

Green chillies – 2 slit

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pan and sauté the onions, chillies, garlic and ginger for a minute.
2. Add the carrots, mushroom and sauté 1 minute and then add 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Add ¼ tsp salt and simmer, covered, for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook as per package instructions.
4. Meanwhile, dissolve the miso paste in 3 tbspof the soup from the pan and add back to the pan.
5. Taste and add more miso to the soup if you require a stronger flavour.
6. Add the tofu cubes, spring onion slices and the spinach and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Serve noodles in soup bowl and then ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish with spring onion greens.

This is a superb soup to have anyway, so if you don't have the miso paste, just make it using a stock cube and it should be a comforting, delicious meal.