Lunch Ideas - Ginger Miso Noodle Soup

Trader Joe's has a new Ginger Miso broth I've been wanting to try.  I used it today and came up with this easy soup.  I made my own baked tofu, but you can make this recipe even easier by picking up a brick of savory baked tofu from TJ's too.

I used one full carton of TJ's Ginger Miso Broth.  I made a simple baked tofu by pressing a brick of extra firm tofu and marinating it with some soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, cayenne, and garlic powder.  Cut into cubes and bake at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes. 

I used used half a package of Nasoya Udon Noodles and prepared them as directed.  I sliced a handful of mushrooms and added them to the broth along with the tofu cubes, some chopped green onions, and the udon noodles.   Heat through and serve.   This made for a very filling soup for two people.

Basic "Chik'n" Barley Soup

This is a super basic, simple version of a vegan chicken noodle soup.  I didn't use any actual "chicken" type substitute, but I did use a vegan chicken broth bouillon that I found at Whole Foods.  I've been using a veggie broth bouillon lately for most of my soups, but the chicken noodle soup flavor that these bouillon cubes had totally reminded me of eating Campbell's soup as a kid!

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 

• 4 cups water
• 2 vegan "chicken broth" bouillon cubes
• 4 stalks celery
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup quick cook barley
• 1 Tbs coconut or olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Begin to dissolve the 2 bouillon cubes in 2 cups of warm water.
2. Dice the celery, onion, and carrots. 
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
4. Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring frequently.  About 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat and add the 2 cups of dissolved bouillon to the pot as well as another 2 cups of water (4 total).
6. Add the barley and bring the pot back to boil.
7. Salt and Pepper to taste.  I personally liked a lot of fresh cracked black pepper with this recipe.
8. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

barley miso soup

Can healthy digestive system boosting soup get any easier to make? I don't think so. 

Serves 2

• 3 tsp barley miso paste, dissolved in a few Tbs of water
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• a handful of sugar snap peas
• a handful of crumbled seaweed snacks

1. Add the water, mushrooms, and peas to a pot and bring to a gently boil.
2. Remove the pot from heat and add the miso paste.
3. Serve and sprinkle with seaweed on top.

miso miso

This soup is so easy and delicious and I threw it together with leftovers and things I had laying around.

Miso soup is a go to staple in any diet where the goal is to heal your body with food so your body can heal itself.  Packed full of enzymes and probiotics, good quality miso (not the type you get from a takeout joint) does wonders for your digestive system.  Think of it as the vegan Activia!  

TIP: It's important to never boil the miso.  This is will destroy all the good stuff your trying tot get into your body.  Dissolve the paste into a few Tbs of water before adding it to any soup once you've removed it from heat.

Look for miso in the refrigerated section.  At my store it's located with other vegan products like Vegenaise.  If you're trying miso for the first time try out Miso Master's "mellow" miso. 

Miso Miso

Serves 2

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp barley miso
• 1 1/2 tsp white or "mellow" miso
• 1 Package Udon Noodles
• 1 handful Trader Joes Sesame Seaweed Snacks 
• 2 pieces leftover baked savory tofu - recipe in Vegan Eats World

1. Bring the water to a gentle boil
2. Add the noodles and boil for a few mintues to loosen and warm them
3. Chop the tofo into bite size pieces and add to pot and remove from heat
4. Dissolve both misos into a few tbs of water and then add to the pot and stir
5. Serve and sprinkle each bowl the seaweed snacks