Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

SOUTHERN JAPANESE MISO

AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

If you haven’t yet tried miso, this could be your
best chance at success. It’s wonderfully aro­
matic, and the bright shiny threads of collard
greens do wonders for its looks.

Miso is a soybean paste obtained from the fer­
menting process used to make tamari. In its
golden variation, it can be found in the refrig­
erator sections at health food stores and good
supermarkets. It is delicious and can be added
to many vegetable soups or casseroles to great
effect for both taste and nutrition.
SERVES 4

8 ounces soba ( Japanese buckwheat) noodles
or whole wheat spaghetti
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (see
page 288)
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
and discarded
6 green onions, white parts cut on the
diagonal into ½-inch slices, greens cut into
¼-inch rings
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch pieces
(yield 1½ cups)
1 medium turnip, cut into ½×1-inch strips
¼ cup white miso
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 pound collard greens, stems removed, cut
into ⅛-inch strips

Place the noodles in a large pot of vigorously

boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until

tender but not soft. Drain, rinse in cold water

to stop the cooking, and set the colander over

a pot of hot water to reheat.

While the noodles are cooking, bring the

stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shii­

takes, remove the pan from the heat, and let

soak for 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms,

reserving the stock, and cut in thin strips; set

aside.

Bring the stock back to a simmer over me­

dium heat. Add the white parts of the onion

and the carrots, and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potato, turnip, and mushroom

strips, and simmer 10 more minutes or until

the vegetables are tender but still fi rm.

Dissolve the miso paste in a bit of the hot

stock, add cayenne, and stir the mixture into

the soup. Scatter the collards onto the surface,

stirring until well mixed. Simmer 3 minutes.

Divide the noodles among four heated

bowls and ladle the soup on top. Scatter the

green onion over all. Please serve everything

very hot—the rising cloud of aroma is a treat in

itself.

Per serving : 195 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,

40 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 3 g dietary fi ber, 943

mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, ½ Fat

COLLARDS • 131