Miso Soup with Tofu & Chinese Broccoli

Soup is the most soothing and comforting food when you’re sick. A chickenless noodle soup is my go-to feel better soup when I’m feeling under the weather, but it’s not something I normally keep stocked in my pantry and requires a special trip to the grocery store.

Miso paste, on the other hand, is a staple in my kitchen. Even though miso frequently plays a role in my cooking, it never occurred to me to make myself miso soup on a sick day until someone recently made some for me. So silly, right? Now that I’m feeling (mostly) better, I recreated that soup so I could share this easy miso soup recipe with you.

A traditional miso soup includes white miso paste, kombu, wakame, bonito flakes, tofu, and scallions. But who says you have to stick to those ingredients? There are no rules, so use whatever is available to you and strikes your fancy for a quick and easy miso soup recipe.

There are many different types of miso available, and in this version, I used Jorinji soy-free chickpea miso. For add-ins, I used odds and ends that were sitting in my fridge: Chinese broccoli, enoki mushrooms, and five spice tofu. I had recently purchased a large bundle of Chinese broccoli, and I was getting a little bored of sauteing it. By chopping the tough stems into small pieces, it cooks quickly in this soup and loses its bitterness. Soft tofu is the most common type of tofu used in miso soup, but I opted for a five spice tofu as it doesn’t fall apart in the soup and offers a chewy texture. Sliced shiitake mushrooms would be tasty, but I only had enoki mushrooms handy, so I chopped those up and tossed them in as well.

Is miso a staple in your kitchen? What are your favorite ingredients for an easy miso soup recipe?

Easy Miso Soup Recipe with Tofu and Chinese Broccoli

Prep time: 20 minutes. Serves 2 as a meal (4 as a starter/side).

Ingredients
5 cups water
3 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
5 stalks Chinese broccoli, chopped
1 bunch enoki mushrooms, chopped
2 pieces five spice pressed tofu, chopped
3 stalks scallions, chopped

Place water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add soy sauce and miso paste into the simmering water and whisk until smooth. Add Chinese broccoli, enoki mushrooms, and tofu. Cook until the the broccoli stems are tender, about 15 minutes. Add scallions and taste. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. Serve warm.