Miso Soba Soup

DIFFICULTY: Easy

Ever since discovering miso, I’ve held up miso soup as one of the ultimate wholesome and comfort foods. Once you add noodles, vegetables and protein it becomes a nourishing meal. This soup is guaranteed to leave you with intense nourishment. It is loaded with immune-boosting ingredients that will give you that extra boost.

Your gut will also be thriving from all the bonus probiotics. Fermented miso paste is full of good bacteria and gut feeding goodness and that on its own is enough reason to slurp away on miso soup. In fact, it’s totally acceptable to slurp your noodles. In the East, loudly slurping your noodles demonstrates your enjoyment of the food; literally! Permission granted… just sluuuurp away. 

Kitchen Notes

• Buckwheat noodles are another name for soba noodles.
• Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free but most soba noodles are mixed with wheat flour. It is vital to read the package ingredients if you follow a gluten-free diet. The only downside is the gluten-free noodles can become a little clumpy.
• Some miso pastes can be saltier than others, start by adding less and add more to taste. 
• If your soup is getting too thick, add more water until it is a thinner consistency.
• Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main.
• You can add additional plant or animal protein.
• Garnish with sesame seeds, nori, chilies, limes and/or scallions.
• Tamari is the gluten-free soya sauce option.

You’ll need:

• 30g kombu
• 5 cups water
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 30g ginger, grated
• 60ml white or shiro miso
• 30ml tamari/soya sauce
• 5ml sesame oil
• 15ml mirin
• 1 chopped red chilli
• 4 cups greens like spinach, collards, kale, chard, bok choy
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 200g buckwheat noodles
• 2 eggs, soft

Let’s get started:

1. For the broth, rinse the kombu pieces. Place it in a medium pot with 5 cups of water. Gently simmer for 20 minutes. Don’t let it boil or the kombu flavor will turn bitter. Once the kombu pieces are soft, remove it and bring the broth to a boil for just a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and ginger and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil on low heat in a skillet and gently stir fry the mushrooms until soft. This gives them more flavor which enhances the finished soup.
4. Dissolve the miso paste in half a cup of broth and add together with the tamari and mirin to the rest of the broth and give it a good stir to combine all the flavors.   
5. Add bean sprouts, chopped chili and your combination of greens and simmer for another few minutes until greens are wilted.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
7. Cook buckwheat noodles according to the package instructions.
8. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Add the shiitake sesame mushrooms and your choice of cooked protein (if any). Pour the hot broth over the noodles and finish it with ½ a soft-boiled egg in each bowl.
9. Top with toasted sesame seeds, crumbled nori sheets, chopped scallions and fresh or dried chilies.

Serve with lime and extra chili on the side.

Tried this recipe? Please share your experience, variations or results in the comments below!