Mushroom Leek Soup Part II

Recently, I made some wonderful, creamy potato mushroom leek soup. It was filling and warming, exactly what you need with soup. I had a little mushroom and leek leftover, so I figured why not make another soup?

These ingredients are so versatile that I wanted to try something different from the last one. This time, I made a soup with very similar ingredients, but added some Japanese elements to transform it into a completely different meal.

If you haven't tried cooking with miso, you should. It is not an ingredient used in western cooking, but it is really common in Japanese food. You can find it in health food stores, but I find the best place to get it is in an Asian market. Much cheaper and more variety. Most commonly used in soup, but it can be used to season lots of dishes.

What is miso? Well, normally it is fermented soy beans, but sometimes is made with barley, rice or wheat. Once fermented, it becomes a paste that is salty and smooth. Miso is fermented with a B12 bacteria, so if you are looking for a way to get B12 in your diet (fellow vegans, I am talking to you), this is an easy source. It is also a source of trace minerals like zinc and copper, another thing that are helpful in a vegan diet. Miso is really high in sodium, so watch how much you have in a day. That said, you don't need much, so unless you are on a low sodium diet, I don't think sodium is a big issue with miso.

Photo credit: http://www.foodsubs.com/Soyprod.html

Alright let's get back to this soup. I love miso soups because they don't take a long time to cook. Basically make any kind of vegetable soup you want and then add miso at the end. I always try to add some sea vegetables to boost nutrition. I also usually add tofu for a little more protein.

This time I kept it super simple.

Mushroom Leek Miso Soup

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• One Leek, white part only, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, sliced
• 1-2 mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth 
• Water (enough to cover the vegetables)
• Udon  noodles
• 1 Tbso soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp miso paste
• 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• Optional additions: Tofu, wakame, broccoli, kale,carrots, celery etc etc.

Like most soups add oil to a large pot and heat. Add the leeks, garlic and mushrooms cook them until they are soft and browning. If they are sticking, add some water. Once cooked, add the water, broth, noodles and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce and mirin. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. 

Always saute your base veggies for soups. it adds flavour

I tried to fry some of the noodles first. It really didn't do much, so I didn't add it to the directions.
Up to you to try this way

Now to add the miso, take a cup of the broth out of the pot and add the miso paste. Stir it well and then add it to the soup. Lastly, before serving drizzle a little rice vinegar.

Another warm and satisfying soup. 

Good for any meal. Including breakfast. Some people swear by miso first thing in the morning

Well, after today, I am on the road for a week. I have a bad track record for blogging on the road. I am really going to try my best to keep up blogging everyday. I am truly loving it. Even if it is hard work! Anyone out there reading.. I am looking for food that can be made with just a microwave and very limited cooking supplies. Please comment if you have any suggestions, or email me.

Thanks, have an excellent Saturday!

Udon Bowl - My New Comfort Food

Whenever I am having a bad day, I crave starchy, salty, carb-rich foods. Potatoes, pasta, rice, noodles are all in my top ten. Something about it just makes me feel better. I have been slowly acquiring the ingredients for a good stir-fry or Asian soup and today was the day.

As soon as I finished my big Udon bowl I felt immediately better... Actually, as soon as I finished my seconds. To go with my noodle bowl I made Braised Daikon from the Kind Diet, get the recipe here. I saved the liquids that it cooked in to flavour my Udon noodle bowl broth. If you don't want to make this, flavour the broth with about 1/4 cup of mirin and 1-2 Tbsp of Shoyu.

Cure-all Udon Bowl
- Package of Udon (or any kind) of noodles
- one celery, sliced
- one leek, sliced
- handful of mint leaves
- 2 leaves of bok choy, chopped
- 2-3 kale leaves, chopped
- 2" daikon, chopped
- 1/3 block of silken tofu, chopped
- handful of shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 2 to 3 Tbsp of miso
- liquids from braised Daikon
- 4 to 5 cups of water
- 1 to 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

Now, I think I have said this before when making something like a noodle bowl or stir fry. Use the veggies that you have. I forgot to include carrots and I think they would have been awesome here. In the world of veggies, there is not much that wouldn't work.  I even thought about throwing in some lima beans, but got scared... next time!

Put water and bouillon cubes in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. While waiting for it to boil, prep the veggies. Once the water is boiling add in the vegetables in order of cooking time. Then add in the noodles and last, add in the tofu. Let it simmer for a while (I simmered it about 15 minute).Add in the reserved liquid from the braised Daikon or add the mirin and shoyu.

Once soup is looking ready take out about a cup of the water and stir into it the miso paste. Take the soup off the heat and add the miso in and stir.  Let it sit for a few minutes and then taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.

I have to admit, I did not really follow the instructions here. I was so tired when i got home, I just threw everything into a pot as soon as the water boiled and crossed my fingers. Surprise - It worked OK! I did end up adding a little bit extra miso to mine because I was craving something salty. I will leave that one up to you.

Something tells me this is going to be one of those things that tastes even better on day two. Can't wait! Thank you Udon bowl, bad day has been kicked to the curb!

Chinese Take-out, Vegan Style

I am starting to notice a bit of a trend with my posts lately. Salty and sweet treats are everywhere. It must be the dead of winter! Last night I was having a quiet night in and decided to make myself some Chinese take-out... or I suppose it should really be called Chinese Stay-in.

Sweet and Sour Seitan

Ingredients:
- One package of Seitan, but into bite size pieces
-  2 tbsp of BBQ sauce (Regular)
- 1/3 cup of vinegar (Either rice or apple cider, I used rice)
- 1 tbsp of Cornstarch
- 14-15 oz can of pineapple (chunks or crushed), reserve the juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 green pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1/2 to 1 yellow onion

Prep the veggies

Heat pan and lightly oil. Add the Setian and brown for 1-2 minutes per side.


 

 
Add the chopped veggies and saute for a few minutes. I did not have any other veggies on hand when making this. You could definetely cut back on the pepper and add in some bok choy, broccoli, carrots etc. Whatever veggies are your faves.


 

 While the veggies are cooking. Stir the BBQ sauce, vinegar, cornstartch, salt and reserved pine apple juice together and let it sit for a couple minutes.

When the veggies are starting to get tender, pour in the sauce and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes and then add in the pineapple. Continue to cook until the pineapple is heated through.

Serve on Rice or noodles with a salad or veggie soup. I had some left over miso soup that I had with this. It was yummy!