I was always regarded as a slightly odd child when it came to food and when I moved to live by myself, I embraced my unconventional nature. Tired of reaching for traditional British breakfasts, I started looking at international breakfast ideas that were preferably low in sugar. It led me to spend some time perfecting my version of Miso Soup.
Surprisingly easy to make, miso soup can be made flexible to how hungry you are and it lends itself incredibly well to batch cooking. There was a long time where I would spend a little time each Sunday to prepare a few basic ingredients that would allow me to whip up a super quick, nutritious, tasty, and filling miso soup during week in double quick time. These days a variation of my Miso soup is a regular dinner dish for us on days were we only want something light, but I still whip out the full ‘power breakfast’ version on days when I know I’m going to need the energy.
There are four pillars in my miso;
- Dashi – this full bodied Japanese stock is traditionally made with kombu (a dried seaweed) and bonito flakes (tuna that has been dried and turned into tissue thin flakes). I make mine with dried shitake mushrooms instead of the bonito. This makes a light but full bodied stock that can be made up to a week in advance,
- Carbs, rice or Noodles? – On days where I want to fill up more, a steaming pile of rice in my soup is a great addition. If you need something lighter, we like to use thin rice noodles. You can skip the carbs altogether if you prefer, this makes a more traditional side dish for a Japanese families along side a larger meal.
- Miso – The star of the show, miso paste is incredibly good for you with probiotic properties that make it a great way to start the day. There’s a stunning array of miso to choose from however so it’s important to pick a miso paste that you enjoy while also keeping an eye on your dietary needs. White miso has a sweeter, almost nutty flavour that’s milder and more delicate that it’s punchier cousin. Red Miso is a saltier version that has been fermented for longer, allowing it to develop a more impactful flavour. If you’re gluten free then take some time to pick out a miso that’s certified gluten free. Additions can vary from rice, wheat, barley, to adzuki beans or seaweed so there should be a wide variety even if you need to skip gluten. You can also find soy free versions of miso, usually made from either rice or chickpeas.
- Toppings – Wanting a protein boost? Then tofu works well here, whether lightly poached silken tofu, crisped firm tofu, or burmese tofu to avoid soy is up to you. Vegetables add body and can be added fresh (I like some fresh cherry tomatoes), stir fried (carrots, baby corn, and sugar snap peas all work well), or lightly poached in the stock. I like to add a touch of wakame seaweed as it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Why not think about finishing yours with a touch of furikake seasoning if you really want to kick up the flavour?
As you can see, its a dish that can be as flexible as you need it to be. Want something that’s nutritous and filling enough to keep you going all day? Max out the vegetables and don’t forget the rice. Want a small snack to accompany a bigger meal or even just to tide you over? Make a lighter version with just rice noodles or even no carbs at all, and just a light sprinkling of thinly sliced mushrooms and spring onions that have been poached in the dashi. If you prep ahead using my tips below, you’ll be able to make this in less than 10 minutes on the day!
The recipe I’m giving you here is my full on, breakfast version but I’d love to see what changes you’ll make!
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Dashi:
- 2 ltr Water
- 1 sheet of Kombu
- 15g Dried Shitake Mushrooms
For the Soup:
- 1.25 ltr Dashi
- 4 Tbsp Miso*
- 1 Tbsp Dried Wakame Seaweed
- 4 Spring onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts seperated
For the Toppings:
- 180g White Rice, cooked**
- 6 Cherry tomatoes, quartered or cut into eighths depending on size
- 150g Stir Fry Vegetables, cut into small matchsticks***
- 200g Firm or Chickpea Tofu
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- Vegan Furikake Seasoning, to taste (optional)
Directions
Items to prepare ahead: Start by making the dashi. The seaweed will often come with a white powdery coating, while I’ve seen some recommend it, I really don’t suggest washing or wiping your kombu to remove this as it’s filled with nutrients. Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring up to a low boil. Cover, turn off the heat and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes and no longer than an hour. Strain your stock and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week till needed.
Cut the tofu into 2cm square blocks, that are about 1cm thick. Mix together the cornstarch and spices and liberally dredge the tofu. Heat a large frying pan over a medium to high heat with a touch of oil. Fry off the tofu for about 5-10 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown. If making this ahead of time, the tofu can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 day. You can serve it cold or reheated in a dry frying pan till heated through and crispy on both sides.
To cook on the day: Place the dish in a small pan and bring up to a low simmer on a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the wakame seaweed along with the white parts of the spring onions. Cover and leave till the wakame is rehydrated, this should take no more than 5 minutes.
While the dashi is heating, put your wok on a very high heat with a touch of oil. When the oil starts to shimmer add the vegetables. Stir fry till bright and only just cooked, in most cases this can take only 3 minutes.
Just before serving, place 1/2 a cup of the heated dashi into a small bowl and whisk through the miso. Remove the pot of dashi from the heat and stir through the miso/dashi mix. You can add the miso directly to the dashi pot but it’s often easier to evenly dissolve it using this method.
To serve, lay out 4 small soup bowls. Arrange the rice, tofu, tomatoes, and stir fried vegetables at the bottom of each bowl and top with a ladle of the miso soup. Garnish with the reserved green parts of the spring onions and a sprinkle of the furikake seasoning if using.
Notes
You can store the leftover mushrooms and kombu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They can be used to make ‘second dashi’ in a similar manner which is a great stock for cooking or poaching vegetable to help bring out their flavour. It’s not ideal for dishes like soup where the dashi is such a key part of the flavour itself.
* As it’s often my only soy intake in a week, I treat myself to a soy based, red miso for this but feel free to use whichever variety works best for you.
** I’ll often prepare the rice in the instant pot as i can easily throw a cup of rice into the cooker while I make my morning tea and I know it’ll be kept safe till I need it. If it works better for you, you can use leftover rice from the previous day that’s been thoroughly reheated but be careful! While I’ve never had a problem with this route, there can be a risk of food poisoning with reheated rice.
***I generally use whatever I have in the fridge but a selection of carrots, baby sweetcorn, courgettes, and sugar snap peas all work well.
Allergy Notes; This is vegan, gluten free and nut free – follow my tips above and you can easily make it soy free too!
