Miso soup with tofu, spinach and edamame
Savory miso broth with soft tofu, spinach, edamame and green onions, a light, soothing vegan thermos lunch that’s ready in 20 minutes.
- 20 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.56 a serving
- 200 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: It’s ready in 20 minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 package firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ cups frozen shelled edamame
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup miso paste
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 cups water
Each serving has about 200 calories, 19 g protein, 15 g carbs and 9 g fat, and costs about $2.56 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Cut the tofu into ½-inch and the green onions.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Bring the broth, water and ginger in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium-high heat
Add the edamame and tofu and for 4 minutes, until the edamame are hot.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
in the spinach for 1 minute, until , then turn off the heat.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Wilt. Wilting means cooking leafy greens just until they go soft and collapse. Greens shrink a lot, so a big pile of spinach becomes a small handful, and that’s normal.
How you’ll know: The leaves turn soft and deep green and slump into the pan, usually within a minute or two.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Scoop out a cup of broth, the miso into it until smooth, and it back into the pot.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: Miso goes in off the heat. Boiling dulls its flavor, so when you reheat, stop as soon as it steams.in the green onions and sesame oil, and taste, adding a little more miso if you’d like it saltier.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
To pack, fill a thermos with boiling water for 5 minutes, pour it out, and fill it with steaming soup.
Dolly’s tip: A hot thermos keeps soup hot until lunch. The rest keeps 4 days in the fridge; reheat it until steaming before it goes in.Food safety: Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop plans your lunches along with the week’s dinners, puts what you need on the same grocery list, and walks you through each step.
