I've had my eye on this recipe from A House In The Hills since February of this year. I love her blog and taste in foods! I finally got around to putting my own version together and it's nothing short of delicious! I love every ingredient here and the pure simplicity of it all. It does take more than one pot to cook it all in but it's well worth the few extra dishes. I'm sure you can find a way to streamline my instructions even further to suit your needs and/or make it go a bit quicker if need be. I love this kind of cooking, minimal ingredients that come together creating a satisfying nutrient dense meal. Plus, anything called a 'bowl' and I'm all in! I hope you'll enjoy my version and check out the original too, it's a bit different as it doesn't have the miso soup. Either way you like it....cheers and enjoy your soba bowl!
Recently updated, in case you're a soup lover, is this Pasta and Bean with Kale Soup. It's super delicious and enough to serve six generously. You'll most likely have leftovers and you'll be glad you did!
I used 100% soba noodles but you can use the mixed flour soba noodles if you like. You can even use ramen or udon noodles if you prefer, just know they are not gluten free if you're following that kind of diet. I don't have to follow a gluten free diet but I love soba noodles and do try to limit foods containing gluten. I started using them for their nutritional aspect and came to love their flavor and versatility. The noodles contain 6 grams of protein per serving. I call for 2 servings of soba noodles per person giving you 12 grams. The tofu is optional and will add extra protein, about 9 grams per serving, giving this dish almost half of the the average persons protein requirements. If you decide to not use the tofu, have a protein shake for dessert or somewhere in your day if you feel you haven't met your needs elsewhere. The bok choy is a must here and has such a mellow flavor but I'm sure you can adjust using something else if needed.
I used dried mushrooms here since I have somehow collected three bags of them and decided it was time to put one package to good use. Feel free to use fresh mushrooms of choice, about 8 oz should be good.
Red miso is what I had on hand for this recipe, but you can use your favorite or whatever you have available. If you don't have miso on hand, sub in some low-sodium veggie broth. But I recommend having miso handy at all times, it's makes for great broths and soup bases! FYI, it will last up to one year in the refrigerator...a great incentive to add this to your refrigerator staples.
BOK CHOY & WILD MUSHROOM MISO SOBA BOWL
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 1 package (9oz) soba noodles (I use Eden)
- 1 package dried wild mushrooms or 8 oz shitake, oyster or mushrooms of choice
- 3 small bok choy
- 2 - 3 tablespoons miso (use your favorite)
- 4 cups water
- 2 - 4 oz. cubed tofu, optional
Garnish
- 2 scallions, sliced
- fresh cilantro sprigs
- sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Cook your soba noodles according to package, rinse under cool water, set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm 4 cups of water over medium heat (do not boil), add dried mushrooms, lower heat and let simmer, uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes. Add miso, stir to remove any clumps and continue to keep the soup warm over low heat.
If using fresh mushrooms, slice into strips, saute them in a bit of sesame oil and splash of tamari for about 5 minutes over medium high heat, add mushrooms to the broth while simmering.
If using fresh mushrooms, slice into strips, saute them in a bit of sesame oil and splash of tamari for about 5 minutes over medium high heat, add mushrooms to the broth while simmering.
Steam your bok choy. I used a bamboo steamer with the pot I cooked the noodles in.
Tofu can be steamed with the bok choy or added to the soup to warm.
Tofu can be steamed with the bok choy or added to the soup to warm.
Build your bowl by adding half the bok choy and soba noodles to your serving bowl, ladle 1/2 of the miso broth and mushrooms over top. Top with cubed tofu, scallions, cilantro sprigs and sesame seeds.
Notes:
If you don't have miso on hand, sub in some low-sodium veggie broth. But I recommend having miso on hand, it's makes for great broths and soup bases! FYI, it will last up to one year in the refrigerator...a great incentive to add this to your refrigerator staples.
A note on the Eden 100% Buckwheat Noodles and their price. It is a bit more expensive than most noodles but from my perspective, I eat basic, cheap foods most of the time so I consider these noodles to be my 'meat' if you will. You can always hunt the internet for cheaper prices and buy in bulk. 100% soba noodles are well worth the price considering I don't spend money on many other food items like cheese, meat, fish and poultry...all of which can cost just as much, if not more. I hope to encourage you to rethink food items and their cost when adapting to new foods...there is a trade off and I much rather spend my money on 100% soba noodles. Feel free to use other noodles as mentioned above.
A note on the Eden 100% Buckwheat Noodles and their price. It is a bit more expensive than most noodles but from my perspective, I eat basic, cheap foods most of the time so I consider these noodles to be my 'meat' if you will. You can always hunt the internet for cheaper prices and buy in bulk. 100% soba noodles are well worth the price considering I don't spend money on many other food items like cheese, meat, fish and poultry...all of which can cost just as much, if not more. I hope to encourage you to rethink food items and their cost when adapting to new foods...there is a trade off and I much rather spend my money on 100% soba noodles. Feel free to use other noodles as mentioned above.
Enjoy!