Alphabet Miso Soup #MakeItMonday

In the mood for some "feel better" soup? Our friend Sue from the blog, The View From Great Island shared this delicious and easy-to-make alphabet miso soup recipe with us. It feels like the perfect February soup and super fun for kids to scoop up some alphabet noodles. 

A View From Great Island is gorgeously photographed and full of amazing ideas. Her food blog style is, "enthusiastic, colorful, and non-fussy. No food is off-limits here, as long as it’s ‘real’ and unprocessed, but my favorites make repeat appearances. I love cardamom and citrus. I like to cook with nuts, spirits of all kinds and fresh herbs. I like things spicy. I love coffee cakes, street food, and the farmer’s market." 

Here's a terrific tutorial on How to Use Miso plus recipes for miso dressing, ramen, and wonton soup. 

"I love using miso, especially during the cold winter months.  But because it’s a living food, you don’t actually cook it, otherwise, you might lose some of those amazing health benefits, so that means it’s always fast and fresh.  It has a unique umami flavor —  savory umami is called the ‘fifth taste’, coming after salt, sweet, sour and bitter.   It’s associated with meaty, savory flavors, and things that are fermented and aged — a couple of foods that have a natural umami flavor are Parmesan cheese and Shitake mushrooms.  Miso adds that unusual dimension to lots of different dishes, but soup is one of the most popular."

Alphabet Miso Soup 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 ounces of alphabet pasta
• 1/8 cup miso paste
• 1 block of firm tofu
• 1 stalk of green onion

Directions:

1. 1. Bring the stock or water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the alphabet pasta and boil gently until done, about 6 minutes, or according to the package directions.
2. 2. Cut the tofu into small cubes, and thinly slice the green onions, and set aside.
3. 3. When the pasta is tender, take the soup off the heat. Stir in the miso paste, and then add the tofu.
4. 4. Serve in small bowls, garnished with the sliced green onions.

The paste is full of detoxifying enzymes, proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics.  It helps strengthen the immune system, lowers cancer risk, reduces bad cholesterol, and aids in digestion. 

How do you like to use miso? Please share in the comments below.