Green Miso Soup

Sorry for the lack of postings this month. You may have noticed So Good & Tasty has taken on a new look since you were last here. I've been meaning to give my blog a fresh look and I finally carved out some time to do it. But I've been cooking a lot and have a few things waiting to be posted; starting with this soup.

This time of year there always seems to be a pot of body warming soup or stew simmering away on my stove. Sometimes they require longer cooking times to develop their depth and flavor while other times it's as simple as heating a simple broth and adding things in to make it complete. This soup is of the later.

Soup becomes the perfect catch all when you rummage through your kitchen finding a carrot or two, a few potatoes, and other odds and ends. I seem to be a greens fiend, consuming them most chances I get and hate to waste them. They're easy to add to many soups at the end, but I had made this green dip earlier in the week and had some left over that I thought would make a nice addition to a pot of simple miso soup.

A broth made from miso is quickly heated through. Tofu and soba noodles are added for substance and a green sauce made from dark leafy collard greens is swirled in at the end. 

I usually make this green sauce as a sort of dip for veggies or crackers, which is amazing just like that. It is on the hotter side because of the jalapeño, so take that into consideration if you are sensitive to spicy foods. I seem to also be one of those people who always has an ever expanding cupboard of different kinds of nuts, which many times get made into nut butter, so it's not a surprise that hazelnut butter should make its way into this dish, plus it makes everything creamy and delicious.

If you're unfamiliar with miso, it's available at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section. It ranges in color from white, with a lighter less salty taste, to a deep dark brown that has a very strong flavor. It's loaded with all kinds of immune boosting properties and if your vegan, it's a great source for B12, which can be harder to come by. Soba noodles are one of my favorites to use. They are made from buckwheat flour and can usually be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Green Miso Soup

serves 4

1 tablespoon white miso
4 cups water
4 ounces soba noodles
4-5 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes
green sauce (recipe below)

Cook the soba noodles as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.

Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place the miso in a small dish and spoon about a half cup of the boiling water over to thin it out a bit. Stir everything back into the pot and add the tofu. Remove from the heat.

Spoon the noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the miso and tofu evenly over them. Then take two heaping tablespoons of the green sauce and stir into the soup. Serve hot.

Green Dip/Sauce (Adapted from The NW Vegetarian Cookbook)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions or shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
6 cups chopped collards or other green such as kale
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon hazelnut or almond butter
pinch of salt

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir and cook until the onions soften and starts to become lightly brown.

Stir the green into the skillet, add the apple juice. Cover and cook until the greens are very soft, about 20 minutes. Check every once in awhile to make sure there is enough water, add only a very small amount if needed.

Place the greens mixture, lemon juice, hazelnut butter, and salt into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Keep stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.