Slurpy Buckwheat Noodle Soup

I made this soothing hot soup last night for dinner, and it was devoured within minutes of making it. Packed full of nutritious ingredients: the seaweed for iodine, buckwheat noodle for protein, and lots of fresh vegetables. I added a dash of chilli sauce to mine for a little extra spice. A fresh soup, perfect for this Summer weather.

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Gluten Free Option, Vegan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil

5g (1/4 cup) dried wakame seaweed, soaked in fresh water for 15 minutes to soften, then drained and cut into pieces (see side of pack for details of any allergies, due to the nature of how the wakame is harvested.)

200g firm marinated tofu, cut into bite sized pieces

200g (100%) Buckwheat Noodles

1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

8 closed cup mushrooms, brushed of any dirt and thinly sliced

3 Pak Choi (approx. 150g), rinsed and thinly sliced

80g (approx. 25) mange tout peas / snow peas, thinly sliced

1.2 litres vegetable stock, I use 2 tablespoons of reduced salt Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder and boiling water

2 tablespoon brown rice miso paste, mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold fresh water to make it pourable

2 tablespoon tamari sauce (for gluten free) or soya sauce

4 spring onions/scallions

Fresh coriander (approx. 3 tablespoons) roughly chopped to serve,

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F

Place the firm tofu chunks on a lightly greased baking tray and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Half way through cooking turn the tofu pieces and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Use a medium/large saucepan to cook the 100% buckwheat noodles as per the instructions on the pack (approx 5 to 7 minutes). Once they are cooked, drain them in a colander/sieve (you can reuse this saucepan next to make the soup) and rinse under cold water. I use one hand to mix and massage the noodles so they are rinsed well and therefore less likely to stick together. Set aside while you make the soup.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the medium/large saucepan (can use same one you cooked the noodles in). Stir in the thinly sliced onions, mushrooms, Pak Choi, Mange Tout/Snow peas, fresh ginger and tamari sauce. Allow to sauté for 1 minute.

Now pour in the hot vegetable stock, bring to the boil and gently simmer for a minute. Cook quickly, as this soup is best when the vegetables have a little crunch. Stir in the chopped seaweed pieces and brown rice miso.

Now to serve: divide the cooked buckwheat noodles between the bowls, then ladle the vegetable soup broth over the buckwheat noodles. Scatter the baked tofu pieces on the side of the bowl and the to finish sprinkle over the spring onions/scallions and a little chopped fresh coriander (optional) .