Description
A flavorful and comforting Miso Soup with tender chicken, shiitake mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and delicate rice noodles, enriched with savory miso paste for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ¼” strips
- 2 medium carrots, sliced (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 heads baby bok choy cut into bite-size pieces, about 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Liquids and Sauces
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine or pale dry sherry
- ½ -1 tablespoon red chili paste (like sambal oelek)
- ¼ cup white miso paste
Other
- 3 oz. thin rice noodles (vermicelli/rice sticks)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Instructions
- Brown Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides for about 2 minutes without cooking through. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sliced carrots; sauté for 3 minutes. Then add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, grated ginger, and minced garlic; sauté for another 1 minute.
- Simmer Chicken and Broth: Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the reduced sodium chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Japanese rice wine or sherry, and red chili paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is tender enough to shred. Remove the chicken and shred once cool enough to handle. Continue to simmer the soup if you want more tender mushrooms.
- Prepare Miso Mixture: Place the white miso paste in a medium bowl. Ladle some hot broth from the pot into the bowl and whisk until the miso paste completely dissolves. Set this mixture aside.
- Add Noodles and Vegetables: Add the thin rice noodles and chopped red bell pepper to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Finish Soup: Add the baby bok choy, shredded chicken, and the dissolved miso mixture to the pot. Cover the pot and let it sit just until the noodles are al dente and the bok choy wilts, approximately 1-2 minutes. Do not boil or simmer after adding the miso to prevent grittiness.
Notes
- You can substitute cremini mushrooms for shiitake mushrooms; add them with the bell peppers as they cook faster and are less meaty.
- The rice noodles are very long; you can cut them a bit before adding, or use kitchen shears to cut them after cooking for easier eating.
- White miso paste may be found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores or at Asian markets; it is also available online.
- Baby bok choy can be substituted with spinach or kale if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
