Carrot & Parsnip Miso Soup

Warm, filling and comforting, this winter vegetable soup is jazzed up a little with the addition of Japanese miso paste.

I hadn’t used miso before, but wanted to try it after reading about it on some of the other foodblogs here on WordPress. It is made from fermented soya beans, which means that it is rich in protein and good for gut health.

This is the variety that I used, made by Yutaka. I did have a little trouble finding it in Sainsbury’s at first, but eventually came across it in the Far Eastern aisle. Just to clarify, by that I mean the speciality Asian foods section, not that end of the building down by the motorway 🙂

I made a large batch of the soup in a saucepan on the hob, and kept it for a few days. I could then ladle some into a bowl, stir in some miso, and microwave it for around 3 mins for a very quick, tasty and nutritious lunch. It is vegetarian and vegan, so everyone can enjoy what the Japanese call that umami – or rich and savoury – taste.

Servings

About 6 bowlfuls.

Timings

The barley soup mix needs soaking overnight, then boiling for 45 mins. Once that’s ready, the soup takes about 25 mins to make.

You Will Need

• 100g dried barley/lentils/split peas soup mix
• oil
• 1 onion
• 3 celery sticks
• 200 – 250g carrots
• 200 – 250g parsnips
• 1.5l vegetable stock
• a few twists of black pepper
• 1 jar of miso paste

Method

1. Cover the soup mix with cold water in a bowl and let rest overnight.
2. The next day, drain the soup mix and rinse in a sieve under cold running water. Place in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let it boil for 10 mins, then reduce to a simmer for another 35 mins. Drain with the sieve, and set aside.
3. Chop all the veg into chunks and place in the empty saucepan with some oil, over a medium heat. Put on the lid and let it sizzle for around 10 mins, stirring every so often. It should become softened and a little browned at the edges.
4. Add in the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins.
5. Remove the pan from the heat for a few moments, and blitz it by plunging in a handheld blender. If you don’t have one, spoon at least half of the soup into a food processor with blade fitted, and blitz it there before returning it to the pan.
6. Add in the cooked soup mix with 2 tbsp of miso and the black pepper, and stir in. Then simmer for another 5 – 10 mins.
7. Switch off and let it rest. When it has cooled, transfer to the fridge. It will keep for a few days, during which the texture and flavour will deepen.
8. To serve, ladle some into a bowl and stir in another tbsp of miso to individual taste. Microwave until hot, and enjoy.

Customise It!

Almost any seasonal winter veg that you have available will go well here. Stick with making the carrot and parsnip prominent, though, as these give it a distinct, sweet flavour. Experiment with the miso, adding as much or as little as necessary to suit your individual taste. The miso already contains salt, which is why I only added black pepper at the seasoning stage.

There probably won’t be a better chance to add Japan to the ADK Playlist, so here they are with the eerie Ghosts.