Miso Soup

not pictured: mirin and edamame beans...

This is a quick and satisfying meal that I hope you will enjoy. Personally it took me a little while to come around to the taste of miso, it is definitely an acquired taste. But I also think some cheap sushi places use miso paste with unnecessary additives - which made me feel ill after consuming it. During winter miso is a staple in my fridge, although I do go off it from time to time.

This is by no means a traditional recipe, but it's how I enjoy it. Fermented soy products are supposed to be super good for you so get into it!

In its simplest form you can mix some miso paste with some hot water, add a little fresh tofu and spring onions and you're good to go, but if you want to make it a meal, here is how I do it...

Miso Soup

1 tbl miso paste (I buy a Japanese brand without MSG - many miso pastes do contain MSG)

1 tbl mirin (sweet cooking wine)

1-2 tsp dried bonito (this is something a Japanese friend taught me, I think it's technically instant bonito with added salt and sugar. It is a light brown granular powder, which is pretty strong. I ualso use it in stir-frys sometimes to give it a Japanese flavour-thats Shiho!)

2 tbl edamame beans (I had frozen)

1/2 a carrot sliced

handful of sliced cabbage

dried udon (fresh is better)

serves 1

boil dried noodles in 2-3 cups of water for 7 minutes it takes them to cook (they take 10 total to cook)

Add sliced carrots, dried bonito, edamame, mirin and miso. I push the miso paste up against the side of the saucepan to help it disolve

let it simmer for another 2 minutes then add cabbage, boil for ~1 more minute and then serve, it's that simple!

optional extras/variations

spring onion

mushrooms (rehydrated shiitake or fresh oyster/enoki/shiitake/swiss brown/white button)

fresh tofu

snow peas

mushroom, tofu, spring onion and snow pea miso soup is very tasty and i recommend it!