Looking for a quick and healthy weeknight meal? This Japanese noodle soup is warm, rich and filling. It’s a simple one-pot meal that is ready in around 30 minutes. Perfect for a busy day.
My favourite combination of vegetables is parsnips and kale. Not only are they locally available in the winter, they also provide a balance of sweet and bitter flavours that is absolutely delicious.
Mix and Match Toppings
I love recipes that allow for flexibility and experimentation. I created this recipe to work with whatever vegetables come in my weekly farm box.
Naturally a gluten-free and vegan recipe, this soup can be turned into a keto meal by replacing the noodles.
Here are some suggested substitutions:
- Noodles:
- Use soba or ramen noodles for a traditional Japanese noodle soup.
- Kelp noodles (affiliate link) are a great keto alternative.
- Protein: The recipe is meant to make 4 servings, so use enough protein to serve four people. It’s also fun to mix multiple types of protein.
- Boiled eggs are delicious in this soup. I like 7-minute eggs, which are slightly soft in the yolks.
- Use strips of cooked chicken, beef or pork.
- Even a handful of roasted peanuts tossed on top will give an extra dose of protein.
- Vegetables: Really any combination of fresh vegetables will work in this soup. The only trick is to cook the vegetables until they are soft but not mushy. Add the harder vegetables first (like the parsnips in this recipe), then add the softer vegetables with the noodles.
- Good alternative vegetables include carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, snow peas, cabbage or Asian greens.
- Garnish with Japanese-style pickles.
Japanese Noodle Soup
This soup starts with a rich miso broth as a base for all your favourite toppings. It is the perfect soup for a busy weeknight as it is quick to prepare and can be made from whatever you have in your fridge. See the section above some for alternative flavour combinations.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Broth:
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2-inch piece of ginger
- 12 cups of water
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup of miso paste (stir in at the end)
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 lb. rice noodles
- 1/2 lb. of parsnips (3 small or 1 large)
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 block of tofu (1 lb.)
Garnish:
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds
- Dulse flakes
- Sliced spring onions
- Thinly sliced radishes
Instructions
- Dice the garlic and peel and grate the ginger.
- Combine all the stock ingredients except for the miso in a large pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Peel and cube the parsnips. Add to the simmering broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the parsnips cook, wash and rip the kale into bite-sized pieces. Slice the tofu into small cubes.
- After 10 minutes of simmer, add the kale, tofu and noodles to the broth. Turn off the soup and cook the noodles until tender (about 6 minutes for rice noodles.)
- After the noodles are cooked, stir in the miso.
- Serve with the garnishes.
Notes
- While I’ve written this recipe using parsnips and kale, however, it really can be served with all sorts of vegetables. It’s also designed to suit all sorts of diets. Use gluten-free noodles for a gluten-free diet, and skip the noodles altogether for a keto meal. See the section above for some suggested combinations.
- Adding miso at the end gives the soup a probiotic boost. Homemade miso is always probiotic. Miso in the refrigerated section
(affiliate link) of your grocery store is also usually alive. Just don’t add the miso until the broth has cooled slightly.
(affiliate link) of your grocery store is also usually alive. Just don’t add the miso until the broth has cooled slightly.Keywords: probiotic, vegetarian, healthy, simple, one-pot meal, vegan, keto, paleo, egg free, dairy free, nut free, allergy free, 30 minutes or less
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