Recipe: Miso Soup with Mushrooms, Snow Peas, and Tofu

MISO SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS, SNOW PEAS, AND TOFU

"This nicely flavored miso soup is made more substantial with the addition of tofu. Fresh shiitake mushrooms impart the best flavor to the broth."

1 1/2 to 2 cups mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or baby bella), cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
4 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
8 ounces firm tofu, well drained and cut into small dice
2 scallions, sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons miso (any variety) dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the mushrooms and 5 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Add the snow peas and tofu. Simmer just until the snow peas are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the scallions and dissolved miso, remove from the heat, and serve.

About Miso Soup

In Japan, miso soup is often eaten for breakfast. For the Western palate though, I think miso soup is more likely to find acceptance as an appetizer, as it does in Japanese restaurants. Miso, a salty, pungent paste made of fermented soybeans, adds a full-bodied flavor to soup broth. You'll have better luck finding it in natural foods stores than in supermarkets. If you're unfamiliar with the flavor of miso, start with 2 tablespoons in these recipes. Taste, then add more dissolved miso to your liking. Please be aware that once miso is stirred into hot water, it should not be boiled; otherwise, its beneficial enzymes will be destroyed.

Miso comes in several varieties, falling under three basic categories: pure soybean, soybean with barley, and soybean with rice. Soybean (hatcho) miso is the most pungent and intense; rice varieties, of which there are several, are the mildest; and barley (mugi) miso falls somewhere in the middle. Shiro miso is one variety of mild, yellowish miso (sometimes labeled "mellow white") that is popular in our domestic natural foods market. Any type of rice miso makes tasty dressings and sauces. All varieties of miso work well in soup-which to choose is entirely up to you and your palate.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Excerpted from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas
Copyright 2001 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.