Miso Tofu Noodle Soup

Photographer: Adam
Serves 4

Miso feels so nourishing and wholesome.  I love a cup when I have a sore tummy or am feeling a little low.  Its salty, rich flavour always perks me up.  This soup recipe is super easy and has become a regular weeknight meal for me. So simple to throw together in less than 20 minutes, it’s healthy and bursting with fresh flavours.

Being the middle of winter, I am cooking with lots of root vegetables – but I could see this working equally well in summer with a big bunch of fresh greens in place of the carrot and kumura.  For those of you who enjoy a few meat-free meals a week the tofu is great source of protein, but you could also throw in some thinly sliced seared beef for something a little different.  The key thing is to mix in the miso at the end, blending it first in a little of the hot liquid to avoid any lumps.  Boiling the miso will cause it to loose its aroma.

INGREDIENTS


25g dried / 100g fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 medium kumura, peeled and diced 1cm
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1cm
5 cups water
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
200g tofu, cubed
150g soba noodles
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and chopped
4 tbsp miso paste
Sesame seeds, sesame oil and chili flakes to serve

METHOD


1. Soak mushrooms (if using dried) in warm water for ~20 minutes before slicing, or, if using fresh simply finely slice.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, boil diced kumura and carrot in five cups water with the ginger until tender. Add mushrooms and tofu, and simmer gently for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook Soba noodles in salted water. Drain under cold water to stop the noodles cooking, and divide among four serving bowls. Divide the spring onions among the same four serving bowls.
4. To add the miso paste, pour a little of the hot soup into a jug, add the miso paste and whisk until dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the soup pot and stir to mix through.
5. Divide the soup among the serving bowls, spooning it over the soba noodles. Top each with sesame seeds, chili flakes and sesame oil to taste.