Watching the dark skies streak across my window, blown by the blustery wind, I find myself craving a soup brimming with soba noodles. The calm dark nature of a Japanese-inspired soup is soothing at all times of year but particularly during the harshest winter days.
Made from whole grain buckwheat, soba noodles make their own statement with a flavor and heft not found in a traditional white noodle. There’s also an elegance to preparation of soba I adore. The precious bundles wrapped with ribbon are sometimes the only moments of tidy precision I will encounter during the day.
My quick version of a Soba Noodle Miso Soup has helped me parlay my kids love of ramen toward the goodness offered by this ropey dark noodle luxuriating in its nurturing broth. And since it is quick and easy to make, we often enjoy it as an after-school snack.
A cursory glance through the Internet tells me Soba has a low glycemic index, which helps ensure after a bowlful my kids won’t hit the rafters then crash into a moody ravine 30 minutes later. The noodles also have a good dose of manganese, which helps the body metabolize carbs, cholesterol and amino acids; and a nice dose of thiamin, for brain energy.
While all this may make me feel better, I keep it to myself. I serve the noodles to my kids as I would their favorite ramen soup. They notice the difference but accept the slightly different texture since they are bathed in their favorite broth.
A quick mix of a large spoonful of white miso paste and a splash of soy sauce into the noodle cooking water create a light broth. Miso may seem like an odd choice for kids but it isn’t, really. Salty and ever so slightly sweet, it is similar to a rich chicken broth but is so much more. Made from fermented soybeans, miso is also believed to be a great source of probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
Once the noodles are rinsed in cold water, and added back to the hot broth, they cool down the soup so it can be immediately inhaled, which is what my kids do. A pair of chopsticks and a large Asian spoon helps make the meal fun. The extra effort required also helps slow down the inhalation process.
As with any Asian noodle soup, the options to enhance with toppings are almost endless. The soup eagerly embraces leftover cooked chicken, cooked eggs, or cooked green vegetables. I make extra batches of roasted kale and broccoli, which I keep in the fridge to plop in our soups throughout the week.
The weather outside still chills but today our soup radiates warmth. It is a welcome contrast to the beast outside. It also calms the beast within. There will be no need to pry my kids down from the rafters…at least today.
- 5 cups water
- 3 bundles soba noodles
- 1 heaping Tablespoon white miso paste
- Soy sauce to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Shredded cooked rotisserie chicken, roast pork or cooked seafood
- Tofu
- Scrambled, fried or hard boiled eggs, sliced
- Cooked vegetables, like roasted or steamed broccoli, kale, carrots, spinach
- Toasted nori cut into strips
- Bring water to a boil, add the noodles and cook until just soft. The directions on my package said 5 minutes and I boiled 2 minutes. Set a timer and check frequently.
- Once noodles start to float, they are done. Remove from heat. They go from scrumptious to soggy in moments.
- Drain noodles in a strainer over a bowl, saving the broth.
- Rinse the noodles with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Place into a bowl, sprinkle with drops of sesame oil, toss and set aside.
- Into the broth bowl, put in a heaping Tablespoon of prepared miso paste and a douse of soy sauce. (I sit the Tablespoon of miso in the broth, while I drain the noodles to give it a moment to soften.)
- Stir or whisk the miso into the broth until it is completely dissolved. Taste and add more soy sauce or miso to taste, if desired.
- Place a heap of dark noodles into a bowl and top with ladles of the broth. Add toppings.
