When I’m tired, or busy writing and don’t want to take too long away from the flow of words, I turn to miso soup. I can eat this stuff breakfast, lunch, dinner and all meals in between!
My soup is never a hard and fast recipe – rather it’s a technique that lets you add whatever you fancy to a simple base, and… voila! You can whip up a tasty, easy meal in mere minutes.
This is also a recipe that adapts well to vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
The picture above contains prawns, mushrooms and bok choi, because that’s what I had to hand. I’ll list my staples below and then give you the recipe for the soup in the picture.
Basic Ingredients: Rice, udon or other fresh or dried noodles. (I like rice noodles for the gluten-freeness of them all!), water, miso paste – there are many types of miso, white is good if you are a miso novice, but choose the one you like the most, fresh ginger – finely chopped or grated, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos, kombu or other dried seaweed (optional).
To fancy it up use any of the following: chilli flakes, dashi or bonito flakes, sesame oil, fresh herbs such as chives, shallots (green onions) coriander, fried shallot, Japanese rice seasoning, toasted sesame seeds
Protein Ideas: tofu; green prawns (shrimp!); raw scallops; chunks of fresh raw salmon, tuna or white fish; raw oysters; steamed chicken (or you can poach it in the soup mixture)
Vegetable Suggestions: finely cut carrot battons or slices, asparagus, snow peas, bean sprouts, bok choi, pak choi, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, firm lettuce like iceberg or cos, or whatever is in the fridge or garden, cut finely so it will cook quickly
To make your soup, follow the directions below, no matter what your choice of ingredients.
This one (below) has noodles, mushrooms, broad beans and left-over drunken chicken at the base (under all the noodles!). I also made a vegan one that night, replacing the chicken with baked pumpkin pieces.
Easy Prawn Noodle Miso Soup: (this serves four people as a starter or two hungry people as a main) Get your ingredients ready. Clean and de-vein your prawns. Have enough for about 1/2 a cup per person as a starter or 3/4 to one cup as a main. With big prawns this may be just two or three for a starter. Finely grate about a tablespoon of raw ginger. Allow about a cup of vegetables and enough noodles for half a serving bowl per person. I used swiss brown mushrooms and bok choi, sliced, and also a few shallots (green onions) from my garden. Keep your vegetables in little seperate piles if the cooking time will vary.
If you are using another protein source have it chopped into small cubes or chunks. Keep all raw animal based-ingredients on their own chopping board, and wash knife and board well before cutting vegetables or tofu.
Cut all vegetables into small pieces, and finely chop any herbs you are going to add.
Prepare your noodles. If they are dried cook in boiling water until done, drain well and add to serving bowls. If they are fresh you can heat them in the miso broth.
Place one litre of water in a large saucepan. Add about 3 tablespoons of miso paste (you can add more later to taste if required). Stir and bring slowly to the boil. Add in the ginger and about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos, and a tablespoon or so of dried seaweed. Dump in fresh noodles if they need to be heated. Give them a minute or two in the broth and then add your prawns or other uncooked animal protein. Wait a minute and add your vegetables and/or tofu. Don’t add the herbs/shallots yet.
Heat until vegetables are wilted. It only takes a minute or so. Remove from heat. Adjust seasoning. Add a splash of sesame oil and some chilli flakes if you like things spicy.
Ladle into bowls and add any herbs to the top. Eat.
This pic is a snack I made recently without noodles – just wakame seaweed, silken tofu and shallots in the standard miso broth. Mmmmm…..
I’m a miso soup junkie!
Oh thank you so much for this Nicole. My son comes home from school ravenous and wants me to buy that horrid 2 Minute Noodles packeted stuff. This is a much healthier and yummier option. I’ve got the miso and the noodles – now for all the other yummy goodies. Thanks again.
Lets hope he gets addicted to the good stuff xx
Sounds delicious! I’ll try it!
I hope you do, Jeannie. It’s the best!!!
Gorgeous!
Thank you Veggiewitch! Am totally loving all the tasties on your blog too. Bless xx
Nicole, the bragg liquid amino is made from non-fermented soy, yet all my research has led me to the conclusion that the ONLY way to ingest toxic soy is if it’s fermented. comments?
Hey Reece!!! I am not really a soy eater myself for many reasons, but I included this here to cover the bases for all of those people who don’t tolerate soy sauce but are able to use Braggs. No one way of eating suits everyone, and some people thrive on things that would kill some of the rest of us! Much love to you xx
This looks so wonderful and comforting. So many times people think that eating well is a big production. You can always make something complicated, but good and nourishing food can also be made without any fuss at all, like these soups.
Like that gorgeous colcannon on your blog! Fellow readers, if you haven’t checked it out yet, baconbiscuit212 has some real homestyle delish. 😀
Awww! Thanks! The day you see me arrange things on my food with tweezers is the day I should hang up my apron!
LOL!
This looks and sounds so nice. Thanks for sharing.
It is especially yum, Kellie. I do hope you try it! xoxo
What kind of miso paste do you use? That soup looks so good, I have to try it!
I have three or four kinds of miso in my fridge right now. I usually suggest white miso for people who haven’t used it before, as it has a milder taste but I have a couple of darker miso too. All of them are delicious!
Thanks, I’m shopping for it directly!
thank YOU so much for posting this! you wouldnt believe that i’ve been googling miso soup recipes for the past month and wasnt sure which one to go for. I feel i have found the one at last! i cant wait to try these, thank you again 🙂
I hope you enjoy it – honestly you can’t go wrong, it is soooooo easy. 😀
These look absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to prepare this recipe! Looks simple enough. Like you, I can have soup at pretty much any meal and enjoy it. Thank you!
Hello sister soup lover! This is one of my most favourite meals, snacks, comforts, pick-me-ups. Delish! Thanks for stopping by. xx
I’ve never had miso soup but it looks great! I must try it, thanks. It’s great having dishes that are ready that quickly when you’re ravenous.
I think you’ll like it. It’s a little sweet, a little salty, and so nourishing and heartening. Perfect for your crazy cold climate!
I love this — Miso soup always lifts me up. I am happy to have your recipe —
Yay! 😀
Sounds very easy and yummy! Thank you!
I’m curious, since you mention gluten-free……lately, I’ve changed my diet to the Eat Right For Your Blood Type Diet, which for me, type O, encourages meat and no wheat or dairy. And I’m feeling much better. Have you noticed any dietary restrictions with your spiritual sensitivity?
Heaps! One thing I find I very much need to do is to ground myself through food. When I was first really stepping into my gifts I was hypersensitive to just about everything (which is pretty normal for psychic development) but it eventually settled down.
I believe sensitive/intuitive souls are more sensitive all round. Glad you’re doing well on your diet. Finding what works for us to experience optimum health is such a gift to ourselves.
yummo perfect for me!
perfect for me too!!! 😀
Um yum. I’m so making this. I usually make a veggie over taken, but I balk at the miso bc it scares me. I feel like I’m gonna mess it up, but u made it sound easy…
Mother it IS easy! In fact I gave quite laborious instructions when all I really do is chop things, heat water, chuck in miso, chuck in other stuff, pour into bowl. Good luck!!!
Miso is the best! So comforting.
I agree. A bowl of miso is my number one ‘comfort in a bowl’ recipe.