Vegetable Miso Noodle Bowl

 

Everyone has their go to comfort food meal. Mine is soup. I'm particularly fond of Asian flavors and big vegetarian noodle bowls with lots of greens.  When I was following a macrobiotic diet at one point, I started eating lots of miso soup. Miso soup from a restaurant typically has a few mushrooms, scallion, wakame and tofu in a miso broth. When I began to make my own I added daikon radish, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy and wakame.  I have also done it with parsnips and kale or watercress. You can change the ingredients based on what you have on hand. I use gluten free ramen style noodles but you can use rice, udon or buckwheat noodles as well.

The best part about this meal is it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish! Its a lifesaver when you want something nourishing and you have no time. Basically I eat this soup 3 times a week!

The other wonderful thing about this soup is that it is very healing. If you have had too much sugar, or acidic forming meals, or just feeling sick , this soup will literally bring you back to life and alkaline your body.

Miso is a paste made from soybeans or aduki beans or chickpea and is often mixed with rice, barley and other grains.  The mixture is allowed to ferment for 3 months to 3 years. This process produces an enzyme rich food that contains all essential amino acids making it a complete protein.

Miso is also High in B vitamins, reduces risk of certain cancers, strengthens the immune system and is high in antioxidants that protects against free radicals. When you also add tons of vegetables and greens this soup is your prescription in a bowl. 

If you want a really fast really nutritious satisfying soup, this is for you! Just remember, never boil miso as it will kill all the beneficial enzymes.

RECIPE:

5 Cups of filtered water
1 piece of kombu seaweed
1 bunch scallion sliced , white and green part
1 carrot peeled and sliced into half moons
1 daikon radish peeled and sliced into half moons
2 bunch of baby bok choy cleaned and white parts sliced and kept separate from the greens. Greens should be sliced also.
1 bunch watercress
Pinch of dried wakame soaked in water for 10 min
1/2 block tofu cut into cubes (this is optional)
Miso of choice, I use sweet mellow miso ...to taste (see directions below)

Optional additions to make the soup extra tasty:

Drizzle of sesame oil
Shot of sriracha sauce
Tsp of crushed ginger

PROCEDURE:

Soak a pinch of wakame in cold water and set aside to reconstitute.
Next place your water in a medium pot with a piece of kombu seaweed.
Bring this to a boil and then turn off the heat and let sit 5 min. After 5 minutes, remove the kombu and discard. This stock known as Dashi is now used as the base for the soup.
Clean, peel and chop veggies.
Place the scallions, carrots, daikon, shiitake and cubed tofu in the pot of kombu stock. At this time also add the bottom part of the bok choy that has been sliced. Reserve the greens you are using as these will be added last.
5. Bring this to a simmer and cook only until the vegetables are tender about 8 to 10 min. Once the veggies are tender turn off the heat and add your greens to the pot. The hot liquid will cook the greens.

While your soup is simmering, cook your noodles and set aside. Take some of the hot soup and add to a mug or bowl with some miso paste. Start with a generous tbsp of miso and stir until dissolved in the water.

Place your noodles in a bowl and ladle your hot vegetable soup right on top. Stir in your miso paste to taste. If you feel more is needed go ahead and add it in. At this time also add the wakame, sesame oil drizzle, crushed ginger and sriracha.

There will be more soup leftover for the next day. You can store the vegetable and kombu stock in containers without the miso. The next day when you are ready to eat again you simply heat the soup in a pot and go through the same process as above with adding miso and the optional flavorings to taste.

 
Hilary Adorno