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Japanese Noodle Soup

Japanese Noodle Soup A quick one-pot meal, perfect for busy weeknights.

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5 from 1 review

This soup starts with a rich miso broth which provides a base for all your favorite 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 for alternative flavor combinations.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Broth:

  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2-inch piece of ginger
  • 1 large piece of kombu
  • 12 cups of water
  • 1/4 cup of soy sauce (or GF tamari)
  • 1/2 cup of miso paste (stir in at the end)
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. flat rice noodles
  • 1/2 lb. of parsnips (3 small or 1 large)
  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 1 block of tofu (1 lb.)

Garnishes:

  • Sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
  • Dulse flakes
  • Sliced spring onions
  • Thinly sliced radishes

Instructions

  1. Dice the garlic. Peel and grate the ginger.
  2. Combine all the broth ingredients except for the miso and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
  3. Peel and cube the parsnips. Add to the simmering broth, and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. While the parsnips cook, wash and rip the kale into bite-sized pieces. Slice the tofu into small cubes.
  5. After 10 minutes of simmering, add the kale, tofu, and noodles to the broth. Turn off the soup and let the noodles cook until tender (about 6 minutes for rice noodles.)
  6. As the noodles cook, remove about 1 cup of water. Stir the miso into the water to fully dissolve. Add the miso to the soup pot. Taste a little bit of the broth, and add salt, as necessary.
  7. Serve immediately, topping each bowl with a few fresh garnishes.

Notes

  • While I’ve written this recipe using parsnips and kale, 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.
  • The easiest substitutions for parsnips and kale are carrots and spinach. However, I’ve made this soup with everything from fresh peas and sweet peppers to broccoli. It really is a good, all-purpose soup.
  • Adding miso at the end gives the soup a probiotic boost. Homemade miso is always probiotic. Miso in the refrigerated section of your grocery store is also usually alive.  Just don’t add the miso until the broth has cooled slightly otherwise you risk cooking the culture.

Nutrition