Vegan Miso Soup with Rice Noodles
Miso soup makes for an easy vegan soup recipe – perfect for lunch time when you want to eat healthy, but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen! This vegan soup recipe comes together in no time and offers up a cold-busting, warm, savory solution to your lunch time.
Ingredients
- 1/3 8 oz pkg rice noodles
- 4 c. water
- 1 sheet nori see recipe notes
- 1 T. sesame oil
- 5-7 shiitake mushrooms washed, wiped and sliced (optional: I like my mushrooms gently sauteed first; see recipe notes)
- 2 small heads bok choy washed with ends trimmed
- 1/2 8 oz block extra firm tofu drained, pressed and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 4 T. light miso paste
Instructions
- Prepare the rice noodles in accordance with the package directions.
- In a small sauce pot, bring 4 c. of water to a boil. Add the torn nori sheets and allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
- While the water is simmering, gently sauté the shiitake mushrooms in the sesame oil until they become golden.
- Wash and trim the bok choy.
- Press the tofu to remove the excess liquid and cut into bite-sized cubes.
- Strain the nori out of the broth. Discard the strained nori.
- Allow the broth to cool slightly. In a small bowl, use 1 ½ cups of the slightly cooled broth and combine with the miso paste to create a thinner paste (often called a slurry). This will help ensure that the miso fully dissolves into the broth. Add the paste to the rest of the broth and stir until combined.
- In a serving bowl, add the rice noodles, bok choy, mushrooms and tofu to the bottom of the bowl. Ladle the broth over the other ingredients.
Notes
I’ve been discouraged against sautéing my mushrooms before adding them to my miso soup on the grounds that it makes the soup too oily. I can see that, but I don’t think I can give up my sautéed shiitakes. They make me too happy. (https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/common-mistakes-miso-soup)
I’ve seen recipes using silken tofu instead of extra firm tofu because it gives the broth more body. I’ll admit, I’m intrigued. I’ll try it if you try and then we can report back. (https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/common-mistakes-miso-soup)
Kombu is a seaweed more commonly used in making dashi. If you can find it (I subbed in nori in this case), use a few strips of it to season your dashi instead. It is easier to retrieve from the broth, so you won't have to strain the broth like you did with the nori.