Miso Soup

I fully admit, for me this was a recipe of oppportunity. I had all these ingredients on hand and was desperate to use the bok choy that was on its last leg. I didn’t have a full pound of bok choy so I added some chopped spinach to the bok choy leaves. Be flexible! You may not happen to have miso and tofu in your fridge, but it’s worth getting the miso at least to be able to make this simple meal on a week night that you need a flavorful, warming soup that isn’t too heavy.

I’ve never made miso soup before this week. I have had it numerous times at Japanese restaurants but never considered making it at home. I’ve been pouring through Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook and came across a miso soup recipe. Great – I have miso, I have tofu, I have bok choy – perfect!

And it is! You can easily do this with a bit of fish instead of tofu (he recommends 8oz of salmon, mackerel or other wild fish). I had tofu and can highly recommend this simple preparation including the 5-spice powder. This recipe comes together quickly, was a hit with my kids, and is a great way to use bok choy or other simple greens.

Ingredients:

• 4-8 oz soba noodles (I personally think 4 is enough, Bittman recommends 8 – use what you like)
• 8 oz firm tofu
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 tsp 5-spice powder
• 1/3 c. miso (any type – the darker in color the stronger it is)
• 1 pound bok choy, separate stems and leaves, stems should be chopped, leaves finely sliced
• 8-16 oz. chopped mushrooms (optional – I just used a half carton I had left over)
• sesame seeds and chopped scallions for topping

1. Cut tofu into long strips, brush lightly with vegetable oil and gently sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 5-spice powder. Season on both sides (or season the second side when you flip the tofu over). Cook under a hot broiler for about 5 minutes per side. This may take longer or shorter depending on the type of broiler you have, distance to the heat, etc. Watch it fairly closely. Once cooked, chop into cubes and keep for topping soup.
2. At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook soba noodles about 4 minutes (or as directed on package). Do NOT overcook. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid when you drain. After draining put soba noodles in ice cold water to chill.
3. In same pot, add the 2 c of reserved soba noodle water and 1 qt of fresh water and bring to a boil.
4. Put miso in a small bowl, add about 1 c of almost boiling water from pot. Whisk until miso paste is disolved and smooth.
5. Add bok choy stems to pot of boiling water, cook approximately 1 minute. Add the bok choy leaves, mushrooms, and simmer for 3-5 minutes until bok choy is silky.
6. Lower heat to LOW and add miso and water combination and the soba noodles. Warm through (about 1 minute) then serve topped with tofu cubes, scallions, and sesame seeds.

This soup is a staple for me. I absolutely adore it! I found my inspiration from Bobby Flay’s newest cookbook: Mesa Grill. The soup itself is thick and hearty. And no meat eater feels the lack of meat as the main course (& if you used a meaty stock then there is no meat lacking anyway ). Don’t skimp on toppings for the soup either – it takes “soup” to a new level and impresses even your toughest guest!

Best of all about this soup though – is the next day! The soup thickens and becomes a most decadent black bean dip. It is perfect on chips, smeared on burritos, or just eaten out of the bowl. Brad calls it “alternative refried beans,” and that is a great description because it is very smooth and creamy, but not refried at all! Enjoy!

Serve the soup in generous bowls (but it is very filling so be careful with the quantity!). Place toppings on the table and let everyone dress their soup as desired.

Part of the reason I wanted to share this post right now though, is the recipe round-up over at The Well Seasoned Cook of legume recipes! Yes my favorites! And of course I knew I had to participate. When she posts the round-up of all the contributions I’ll be linking to it you can be sure. For now though, enjoy my participation – this soup & dip will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 c. red wine or beer
• 3 c. black beans, soaked, rinsed, drained
• 3 jalapeños roasted, peeled and seeded*
• 1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
• 4 c. stock (chicken, ham, vegetable, or just water)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the carrots, onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the wine, (or beer) then bring to a boil, and cook until reduced.
2. Add the beans and reduce heat to medium. Add the jalapeños, poblano, and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until the beans are cooked through.
3. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove half (or more if you want it creamier) of the soup and puree in a blender (preferably a Vita Mix), then return it to the pot and stir well.

*To roast & seed the peppers, place them directly under the broiler and turn often. After about 10 minutes the skin will be blackened all around. Place the peppers in a ziploc bag or a sealing container. Seal the peppers in there for about 15 minutes then remove. The skin should slide off relatively easily. It does not have to be perfect! Cut open carefully and scrape out seeds. Be careful because the capsaicin in the seeds can stay on your hands for hours and sting an eye very easily. Also, please taste the chilies, some can be spicier than expected and you may only want to use one jalapeño. Every chili is a true individual.

Perfect sides for black bean soup or dip:

Cumin Crema: even the most anti-Sour Cream person – aka ME! – will love this crema. The cumin really adds a new dimension.

• 1 T. cumin
• 8 oz. sour cream or crema
• lime juice

1. Mix all ingredients (you can reduce quantities to make a smaller amount). Use lime juice as desired.
2. Crema is best set aside in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld before serving.

Grilled Red Onion “Salsa”

• 1 red onion, sliced into half-inch rounds
• 1-2 T. olive oil

1. Preheat a grill pan or the broiler. Lightly brush the onion with olive oil then place on the grill pan or under the broiler.
2. Cook for several minutes per side until nicely charred. Remove from the grill pan. Chop roughly into chunks and toss well with salt & pepper.

Avocado Relish: make this or your favorite guacamole. You can also substitute tomatillos for the tomatoes.

• 1 avocado, coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon or lime, juiced
• 1-2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 T. red onions, minced
• salt & pepper

1. Combine all ingredients, adding lemon juice, salt & pepper as desired.

Honestly what is perfect about this recipe is you have a fully cooked chicken & stock when you finish! You can use the chicken for dinner or shred it for salads, sandwiches, or anything else and save it for later. Then the next day (or so) use the stock to make a great soup. I’m pretty sure you can find a great soup recipe on this site!

This recipe is directly inspired by Mark Bittman & his wonderful book How to Cook Everything.  This stock is lovely & light – both in color and flavor. Perfect for so many soups.  And the chicken literally falls apart when you remove it from the pot.  A simply delicious combination of foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4 pound chicken, rinsed
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3-4 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 3-5 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 1 t. salt
• 3.5 qts of water

1. Add all ingredients to a stock pot before adding the water. Then add the water – just helps to be sure you have space in your stock pot and you make less of a mess.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Partially cover the pot.
3. Cook for about 30-60 minutes until chicken is just cooked. This will depend greatly on the size of your chicken and speed of simmer. My plump organic chicken took about 45 minutes (and smelled delicious!).
4. When the chicken is cooked, strain out all the liquid. Allow to cool then refrigerate. After 1 day you can scrape off the fat that will have accumulated on top. Use or save for a few days. If you will not use the stock within 4-5 days then freeze.
5. Remove the chicken from the vegetables. Either cut up or shred meat. The chicken can be eaten hot or chilled then saved.

I had a lone sugar pumpkin that has been serving as decoration on tables all over our house this fall. I love little sugar pumpkins – they are small and cute, but gloriously orange and fall like! Plus like all great winter squash, they store very easily for a long time, so you can buy one when you feel the urge then cook it when you feel the urge – no rush! A sugar pumpkin is the best pumpkin variety for cooking – it sweet & rich in flavor. Plus it is smaller & more manageable than the pumpkins we typically carve for Halloween. If you can, buy a few of these small sugar pumpkins when you can. I often get them for less than $1/lb. and they keep for weeks if not months.

During this past week I needed a bit of vegetable stock for a sauce I was making. Since I only needed a small amount, I had about 2 qts. left over. Veggie stock + a sugar pumpkin + a few friendly apples were all lurking in my kitchen, so soup night frequented us again. Its a good thing Brad loves soup! The sweetness and depth of the sugar pumpkin melded beautifully with the apples. No sweetener was used but there was a mellow sugary sense to the soup. I paired my soup with blue cheese toasts – to me, the pungency of the blue cheese with the gently sweet soup was perfect! Even though I love the pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes would work beautifully here too.

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar pumpkin, about 3 pounds
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 apples, chopped (I used Pink Ladies but whatever you like will work)
• 1 t fresh thyme
• pinch of cinnamon
• 2 qts. of vegetable stock

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds and strings. Rub with olive oil and place face down on a baking sheet. Tuck the garlic cloves into the pumpkin cavities. Roast in oven 45 minutes to an hour, until the pumpkin skin is soft to the touch.
3. Set aside to cool then scoop out pumpkin flesh when able. Press the garlic cloves to separate the roasted flesh from the skins.
4. In a soup pot, warm a few teaspoons of olive oil (or half olive oil & half butter) over medium heat. When melted, add the onions. Sprinkle with salt & pepper then cook for several minutes until onions begin to soften. Add the apples, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon. Continue to cook until apples & onions are softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the pumpkin flesh to the soup pot, then add the stock. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once the soup boils, lower to a simmer and partially cover. Cook for 25 minutes, until apples are nicely softened.
6. In batches, us a ladle to transfer the soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Once all the soup is blended, return to the pot and simmer for a few minutes to combine.
7. Serve hot!

I’ve made no secret that I love vegetable stock! Its quick, tasty, super easy, and healthy. What’s not to like???

To help kick off 2008, here is a fresh version where I roasted the vegetables before making the stock. The results were a richer flavored and more deeply colored stock! This recipe does take an additional 30-60 minutes to roast the veggies though, so plan ahead if you want to make soup the same evening.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 onions, quartered but no need to peel
• 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (~1″ chunks)
• 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped (~1″ chunks)
• 1-2 potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped (~1″ chunks)
• 6 cloves of garlic or 3 shallots, unpeeled
• 1/4 c. dried shitakes (optional)
• 10 sprigs parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine onion, carrots, celery, potato, and shallots or garlic in a roasting pan. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper, then mix to coat. Roast for about 45 minutes or until veggies have developed a brown color. Mix several times while cooking.
3. Meanwhile add 1-2 c. of boiling water to the mushrooms to soften them.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a stock pot. Add all remaining ingredients (including mushrooms and their liquid) and 2 qts of water. Bring to a boil.
5. Add 2 c. of water to the roasting pan and place over high heat on the stove. Bring to a boil and scrape up all the bits of veggies that stuck to the pan. Add up to 2 more cups of water as needed. Add the total of 4 c. water and the veggie scrapings to the stock pot as well.
6. Once the stock begins to boil, partially cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes until veggies are soft.
7. Strain and discard all vegetables and herbs. Use immediately or allow to cool then refrigerate.

I was babysitting my friend’s adorable infant son the other night and brought a few veggies from my fridge I needed to use. Once the baby was asleep I set to chopping (and raiding the cabinets for spices!) and by the time my friend was home, hot soup was waiting.

Play with the portions of celery root (celeriac) & parsnip as desired. This is a great way to use up left over vegetable extras. A bit of potato would also be nice in this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 t. celery seeds
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 2 c. parsnip, sliced into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 c. celery root (or celeriac), well peeled and sliced into 1/4″ slices
• 6-8 c. vegetable stock

1. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil then saute the onions & garlic for a few minutes. As they begin to soften, season with salt & pepper, and also add the celery seeds, ginger, and dried thyme. Continue cooking until onion takes on a bit of color, about 5-10 minutes total.
2. Add the parsnip & celery root to the pot. Sauté for a moment then add the broth. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the root vegetables have softened, about 30 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup. Continue to heat for a few more minutes and add more broth or water if needed to thin the soup. Serve hot!

Even though I have made this recipe & variations of multiple times this season, I still do not have a photograph for it! Once I get it into the bowl, we all get so excited to eat that the camera lies forlorn in another room. This most basic vegetarian recipe below is filling, satisfying and EASY. I mean REALLY easy!

For a more special dinner there are a few quick (non-vegetarian) ways that I like to dress it up. One option is to cook a pot of clams on the side and add several to each bowl of soup. Another option is to sauté up a batch of bacon or pancetta with shallots & herbs. Add a nice spoonful to each bowl of soup. Or do both and really live large – I’ve served it this way, and that is one reason we have not photos!

But don’t dispair – the vegetarian version is DELICIOUS. Enjoy that as is!

Ingredients:

• 3 large or 6 medium leeks, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds boiling or Yellow Finn potatoes, well scrubbed
• 2 T. butter
• Salt & Pepper
• Milk or water to thin the soup as needed

1. Set the leeks in a bowl of water to soak while you prepare the potatoes, then lift them out with a strainer letting the sand & debris fall to the bottom of the bowl. Quarter the potatoes, then thinly slice.
2. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the leeks and potatoes, cook over low heat covered for 10 minutes.
3. Add 7 cups of water and 1 1/2 t. of salt, then bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer partially covered until potatoes are soft and nearly falling apart, about 35 minutes.
4. Press a few potatoes against the side of the pot to break them up and give the soup body.
5. If needed thin with a bit of milk or cream, season with salt & pepper, then serve.

Soups just seem appropriate for winter!  They are quick, easy, and tasty.  Plus they help you fill up on lighter vegetables which is always helpful when surrounded by heavy winter food.  Plus the warmth is perfect for any winter lunch or dinner.  So on that note, welcome to Soup Week, round 2.  A new set of recipes to keep you warm.

Another wonderfully easy vegetable soup.  This comes together in minutes if you already have vegetable stock, if not that only takes 30 minutes to whip up! You may wonder why the cauliflower soup is yellow?  The tumeric!  And one other note, add the hot pepper flakes to your liking – my soup was very spicy! 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 t. tumeric
• 1 t. ground coriander
• 1 t. ground cumin
• big pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 5-6 c. vegetable stock

1. In a soup pot over medium, warm some olive oil then add the onion and carrot.  Sauté several minutes until vegetables soften.  Add the spices, along with salt & pepper and continue to cook several more minutes.
2. Once fragrant, add the cauliflower and soup stock and raise the heat to high.  Bring the mixture to a boil, the partially cover and lower the heat to a simmer.  Simmer about 20 minutes until cauliflower is soft and mashable.
3. Transfer soup carefully to a blender (you may have to do this in several batches).  Remove the clear stopper from the lid and cover with a towel to let the steam escape while blending.  Blend well until mixture is thicker and nicely combined.  Serve hot!

While you may have some hesitation, this is a truly delightful soup and an excellent way to get more greens in your diet. If you have any fear of swiss chard, this is a great entry recipe to the whole family of greens!

I loved serving it with a big scoop of Mexican Rice, but any rice or toasted croutons would be equally nice. The soup comes together very quickly and easily – elegant enough to serve to company, but easy enough for a weeknight meal at home.

Ingredients:

• 2 T. butter
• 1 onion or 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 Yukon potatoes (or 3 red), peeled and cubed or thinly sliced
• 1 bunch chard, stems removed (just pull the leaves off and roughly chop)
• juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & Pepper

1. In a soup pot over med-high, heat butter. Add the onion and potato, cook until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 c. water (or white wine) and scrape the pan bottom to release the juices that have accumulated.
3. Add the greens and about 1 1/2 t. salt. They will wilt down in about 5 minutes, add 6 1/2 c. water after they have wilted.
4. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.
5. Puree the soup then return to the pot. You can carefully ladle the soup into the blender container then puree. Alternatively use a hand blender but your soup will not be as finely combined. (Note: I prefer to puree in my Vitamix but please be careful with hot liquids in any blender. Remove the top plastic stopper and cover the opening with atowel. This will help prevent explosions from the steam or splatters all over your kitchen!)
6. Taste soup and season with salt & pepper. Add the lemon juice.
7. To serve, place one scoop of rice in the middle of a soup bowl, then ladle soup in gently.

In honor of Halloween, today I’m posting about Winter Squash soup, which can easily be made with pumpkin! In fact I’ve made it with a pumpkin sister, the Australian Blue. Brad actually declared the soup made with the Australian Blue his all time favorite. I really like the Delicata Squash variety for soup. The wonderful thing about this recipe though is that you can use any type of these hard winter squashes – all following the same recipe! You may have to roast a squash such as the Australian Blue a bit longer though. Try it with different varieties and let me know your favorite!

Winter squash tend to have hard skins and can be difficult to peel. Therefore roast them first as described below, then simply scoop out all the goodness directly into the pot.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 – 3 pounds winter squash
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 t. dried sage (or 1 T. fresh chopped)
• 1/4 t. dried thyme
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 2 quarts vegetable stock (or use water if necessary)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Rub the surfaces with oil then place cut side down on a baking sheet with the garlic cloves tucked inside the squash cavities. Bake until tender when pressed with a finger, about 30-45 minutes.
2. In a soup pot, warm several tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add the sage, thyme, and parsley and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown around the edges – a total cooking time of about 12-15 minutes.
3. Scoop out the squash flesh and add to the pot, along with any juices that may have accumulated.
4. Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the pot along with the salt and stock.
5. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Partially cover and lower the heat to simmer for 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
6. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a bit of cheese (such as fontina, pecorina, ricotta salata, or goat cheese), fried sage leaves, or baked squash seeds as desired. No garnish works just as well!

Here are a few example photos, enjoy!

Australian Blue Squash
	Roasted Delicata squash plus garlic cloves
Scooped out Delicata squash flesh