Can I get a BRRR, y’all?! Madison might not have gotten the snowstorm that slammed other parts of the Midwest this weekend (MSP, how you doin’?!), but it is ch-ch-chilly. I have yet to turn on my apartment’s heat, though, and now I’m stubbornly determined to wait until December to do it. I’m just hoping that they light the pilots/turn on the gas for our gas fireplace soon, because we don’t pay for the gas and it’s mighty nice to keep a fire going when it’s cold! I also think it’s time to shrink wrap my windows… my computer desk is right in front of my bedroom window, which on its own does a very half-arsed job of keeping the cold air out. As I said – brrr.

So what’s a girl to do on a cold day? If you said, discover the joys of a veganized, agave-sweetened hot toddy, well, um, you’re right, but that’s another topic for another day. I’m talking about soup-makin’! Miso soup, if you want to get technical. Ever since buying my first tub o’ miso a month or two ago, I’ve been in love with how quickly I can whip up a tasty, nourishing bowl of soup. It’s endlessly versatile; I can throw whatever I want in there and it just takes it (twss). Yesterday I enjoyed this pretty little bowl of warmth:

Oriental prince in the land of soup!

Mmm. I feel like I might be insulting all my readers’ foodie street cred by posting a recipe for this, but I’ll be honest – I was a little vague on the specifics of miso-soup-making for an embarrassingly long time. So, what the heck – I’ll share my personal take on miso.

Fighting in the Dojo Miso Soup for One
Ingredients
2 C water or vegetable broth
Generous handful of rice noodles
Thinly sliced veggies of your choice (carrots, leeks, etc.)
1/4 t freshly grated ginger
1/4 t dried lemongrass
1 T mild yellow miso
1/4 C tofu, cubed

In a small pot, bring water or broth to a boil and add veggies and spices. After about 5-7 minutes, when the veggies are getting soft, add the rice noodles. Cook noodles and veggies for another 5 – 7 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in the miso until dissolved, and top with cubed tofu. Voila!

I know this is probably a highly unorthodox miso soup, but I love the kick of ginger and the subtle flavor of lemongrass. I suspect that this would make for a great chicken soup stand-in during the sicky times of winter, but I haven’t been sick in ages, so I haven’t had a chance to try that out (curses… did I just jinx myself?!). Simple, quick, and tasty. Yum!

Do you like miso soup? Do you have a go-to recipe for a quick soup? Do share!