day 7: miso soup with greens and soba noodles

It's a Sunday in winter. A day when I crave comfort food. And what's more comforting than a big bowl of homemade soup? My thoughts exactly.

I love miso soup -- and don't hesitate to gulp both mine and ME's down when we're on a sushi date -- however, until today, I was not aware that many a-miso soups have a fish-based Dashi (soup stock). And since fish is a no-no during this challenge, I was pleased to find a fish-free alternative and made my own Dashi using kombu.

The nice thing about miso soup is that you can get creative with it and throw in all sorts of vegetables. Say goodbye to the plain, old miso soup you're familiar with (tofu, green onions, a stray mushroom or two) and say hello to a glammed-up miso soup, full of greens and anything else your heart desires. While surfing the web for a good soup recipe, I stumbled upon this one and customized it to my liking.

Miso soup with greens and soba noodles
Serves 2

4 cups kombu dashi (recipe below)
3 tablespoons red miso
1/4 cup of cubed, firm tofu
2 green onions, tops removed, sliced
4 ounces soba noodles, cooked and rinsed
Two handfuls of spinach
Couple pinches of cilantro
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook soba noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water, set aside.

In a separate pot, make the Dashi (see below)

Once Dashi is ready, ladle a small amount into a bowl and slowly whisk the miso into the broth. Pour the mixture into the big soup pot and taste. If it's bland, add a little more miso and some salt. Add the tofu and continue to simmer on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

Divide the noodles between two large soup bowls. Slowly ladle the soup into the bowls, dividing it evenly. Add half of the onions to one bowl, half to the other. Garnish the soup with a handful of spinach, cilantro and red pepper flakes to each bowl.

Dashi (soup base) -- I got the recipe here
1 strip kombu
4 cups water

Fill a medium pot with water and place the kombu in and cover. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the kombu and return the stock to medium heat while you prepare the rest of the soup.

This soup is comforting and delicious and the best part: it's so simple and easy to make. If you don't like spinach and cilantro, you can replace it with different greens. You'll never think of miso soup in the same light again after you make yourself a bowl of this deliciousness!

Peace and love --
~Jo