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!

White Soup

It’s been cold and rainy lately, so my comfort eating has been going gang busters... chocolate anyone? In an attempt to cut back on the over eating, I decided to make some vegetable soup for lunch. Unfortunately for me, the strong flavours of pumpkin soup make me queasy and although potato and leek is usually my winter soup staple, I felt the need to change it up a little (plus leeks are $3 each in the shop). I moseyed on down to my local fruit and vege and bought my favourite winter vegetables, I know it may seem odd to some people that I enjoy celery, cabbage, swede and parsnip, but if you feel the same way – read on about the joys of white soup…

White Soup

1 large swede (it was the size of a small melon)

2 large parsnips

2 onions (I had one brown, one red)

3-4 sticks celery

4 cloves garlic

¼ of a cabbage

2 cups stock

400gm tin cannellini beans

Big bunch of parsley

Salt to taste

1. Fry the onion and celery until translucent, add garlic and fry for another minute of so
2. Add stock, diced swede, diced parsnip, tinned beans and enough water to cover, bring to boil for about 15 minutes until the root vegetables are soft
3.  Add shredded cabbage and parsley and allow to come back to boil and simmer for only a minute or so, otherwise the cabbages will get overcooked and smelly
4. Blend with hand held mixer until smooth
5. Enjoy – I had smoked salmon on a piece of grainy bread, it was the perfect accompaniment!

I thought it might need some cream or yogurt the way cauliflower soup does, but I think the tin of white beans makes it creamy, although a little grainy. I would have added chives if mine were old enough to harvest – but sadly it was parsley alone. I would normally have added a little bacon, but after speaking with a woman last week who used to raise pigs, I’m starting to rethink my whole stance on pork and other pig products…. but I think this is enough for today…