Miso Soba Soup with Seitan & Bok Choy

You guys all know by now that I’m a noodle addict. Spaghetti, ramen, zoodles… as long as there are noods, I’m a happy camper. I’ve been on a soba kick lately after scoring a good deal on a big package of 100% buckwheat soba noodles from a local Asian grocery store. Compared to traditional pasta, soba is lower calorie, higher in protein, and higher in fiber. I could never give up pasta and ramen, but I plan to make soba a staple in my kitchen as it’s healthier, tasty, and very versatile. One of my favorite ways to enjoy soba is with a super easy miso broth, and this recipe below makes a quick lunch/dinner for one!

I use red miso paste as it has a stronger flavor. Some grocery stores only carry white miso, so you may have to do some searching. The sliced seitan can be substituted with tofu or tempeh, but I do love how the seitan soaks up the broth like a sponge. (Portlanders can pick up some great seitan steaks in the freezer section of Food Fight Grocer.) I always pick baby bok choy over the fully grown version as it’s sweeter and more tender. It just needs to be blanched for a couple minutes, don’t cook it to a mush.

Miso Soba Soup with Seitan & Bok Choy

Makes one bowl of noodles

Ingredients
1 bundle of buckwheat soba noodles
1 tbsp oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth or water
3 tbsp red miso paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 heads of baby bok choy, trimmed and separated
1/2 cup sliced seitan
Sriracha, optional

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the soba noodles with cold water, then set aside.

In the same pot you used to cook the soba, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the water or vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce and miso paste, then stir to dissolve.

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the baby bok choy and cook until tender, about 2 minutes tops.  Remove the baby bok choy with tongs and a colander.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the sliced seitan and simmer until it’s heated through.

To serve, place the soba noodles in a bowl. Top with the sliced seitan and baby bok choy, then ladle the broth over everything. Drizzle with sriracha, and enjoy!