Miso Soup with Tofu and Kale
Spring has been rough this year in New York. No sooner had I written my post last week on the amazing 2 days of warm weather, we got thrown right back into chilliness. And I managed to catch that flu had missed me during the colder months.
It's been over a week now, which is way longer than I've usually out. I've been sick so long I actually don't remember what it's like to not be sick. And because I've (mostly) been too tired to cook, my meals have mainly consisted of takeout fare like pad thai, hummus sandwiches, and banh mi; basically, whatever is within an 8-block radius. But I realized what I really needed was a good homemade soup. And since that meant I had to make that myself, well, that soup better require minimal time in the kitchen.
Which is where this miso soup comes in. With the tofu and kale, it's enough to be a light meal on its own, with maybe some rice or veggie sushi rolls on the side to make it more substantial. I had some vegetable stock saved in the freezer, so all I needed to do was heat it up and toss in some miso paste, ginger, scallions, cubed tofu, chopped kale, and a couple other seasonings.
With some hot tea with honey, I'm good to go...back on the couch.
What are some of your favorite quick meals to make when you're under the weather?
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Miso Soup with Tofu and Kale
Serves 4
5 cups vegetable stock
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 tablespoons miso paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a medium pot. Add the ginger and scallion whites and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the miso paste and stir to dissolve. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the kale and tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the kale is tender. Transfer to individual bowls, garnish with scallion greens, and serve.
Adapted from Whole Living.