The Comfort of Miso Soup

There's something so comforting about a bowl of hot miso soup. It warms you up so deliciously the instant it touches your lips. It soothes your tummy when it aches. It clears your sinuses when you have a cold. It brightens the gloomiest rainy day... Miso may well be a cure-all in a bowl.

My kids are big soup fans. Even when we lived in sunny California, they would get excited when soup was on the menu. I use to make a lot of cream of vegetable soups back then, minus the cream. Nowadays, my repertoire has a wider range. I have been playing around with my own recipe for a hearty miso soup. I love ending my day with such a comforting meal. This one has it all: a little vegetable, a little tofu, a little rice pasta and a creamy salty broth that is flavored just right.



The key to getting a soup from just warm liquid to "wow" is creating a compilation of harmonious flavors. I started with a low-sodium clear vegetable broth, then added fresh ginger, cilantro, lime slices and green onions. This was only the beginning as this flavorful canvas still needed some added pizzazz to become the perfect soup. Flavorful vegetables, tender tofu, slippery pasta, rich miso and fragrant toasted sesame oil were then added in to help make this a meal to remember.

I'm sending this miso soup to Lisa over at Food and Spice who's hosting this month's No Croutons Required event. This steamy bowl is perfect for her event and fits the bill as a hearty bowl of soup.

Tofu Vegetable Soup with Miso (serves 6)



12 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 slices lime
1 1" piece ginger, peeled
12 springs fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sliced green onions (about 2-3)
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrots (about 4 medium size)
1/4 cup mild red pimiento, sliced into rings (optional)
14 oz firm organic tofu, diced small
1/2 cup mellow white miso
4oz of thai rice pasta sticks
1 tsp of GF soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine (for garnish)


Bring broth, ginger, cilantro, green onions to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, covered. Add broccoli, carrots, pimiento, tofu and bring back to a boil, cover and then simmer again for 5 minutes. Add the miso and mix well to combine. Bring back to a simmer and add the pasta, stir, cover and turn the heat off. Leave alone for 10 minutes or until pasta is soft. Finish with the soy sauce, sesame oil and cilantro garnish.

All gone...


Here's another soup recipe for you drink up...
Black Lentil Soup with Kale and Turnip Chips