Step up your soup game with this winter warmer from Anna Jones
What's the fuss with Kimchi? This buzz-worthy ingredient is a FRAME and foody favourite for a good reason. Whether you make or buy your kimchi a jar in the fridge is an immediate route to big flavour - as a flavourful base for soups and stews like this one, chopped finely to add to dressings, and in wraps and sandwiches or piled on the side of bowls of rice and noodles. This soup is a clean-tasting, enlivening, nicely sharp with spice and the mellow, with a vinegary punch thanks to the kimchi.Anna Jones's Kimchi and miso noodle soup (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS
200g Asian mushrooms (enoki, shimeji, shiitake, oyster)
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, plus a little extra to season and serve juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons runny honey or agave nectar
250g soba noodles (I use 100 per cent buckwheat ones)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
A small thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon gochujang paste or dried chilli flakes
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
100–150g cabbage kimchi, drained
250g purple sprouting broccoli, woody ends removed and cut into thumb-length pieces
3 tablespoons miso paste (I use a brown rice one)
250g extra-firm tofu
TO SERVE
Sesame seeds
Squeeze of lemon or lime
some coriander or shiso leaves (optional)
STEPS
First, put your mushrooms into a bowl with the tamari, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the honey, and put to one side to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and run under cold water then toss in the sesame oil.
Heat the oil in a large soup pan over a medium to high heat. Once the mushrooms have had their marinating time, drain them but keep the marinade. Add the mushrooms to the pan in a single layer with a pinch of salt (you can do this in batches if you need to). Cook until the mushrooms are golden where they meet the pan, then toss and keep cooking until the mushrooms are deeply browned all over – this should take 5 minutes or so. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Fill and boil the kettle. Put the empty pan back on a medium heat, add the spring onions and sauté for a few minutes before adding the ginger and gochujang paste. After another minute or so, add the garlic and the drained kimchi. Sizzle until the garlic is starting to brown around the edges. Add 1. litres of water from the kettle along with the remaining tablespoon of honey and bring to the boil.
Now, add the broccoli and simmer for 1 minute, or just until the broccoli becomes bright green. Remove the soup from heat. Place the miso in a small bowl and whisk it with a splash of the broth to thin it out. Stir the thinned miso into the soup. Taste your soup; you really need to get the balance right here. If the broth tastes a bit flat, you might need more salt or miso, or a splash of soy sauce.
Just before serving, cut the tofu into little 2cm pieces and drizzle it with the reserved marinade from the mushrooms.
To serve, divide the noodles between four bowls and ladle over the soup. Top with the tofu, mushrooms and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Finish with more soy if you like, a squeeze of lemon or lime and the shiso or coriander leaves if using.
Award-winning cook Anna Jones exciting new book ‘One’ gives over 150 recipes alongside dozens of ideas for super-quick one-pan, one-tray suppers. Pre-order your copy here.