Miso Soup with Silken Tofu, Soba & Mushrooms
Servings: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Total time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
100 g / 3.5 oz soba noodles (100% buckwheat, cooked, rinsed in cold water)
250 g / 9 oz silken tofu, crumbled
1 Tbsp. white miso paste
1 Tbsp. dried wakame, soaked and chopped
150 g / 1 ½ cups mushrooms (shiitake, chestnut, or button), sliced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Nori flakes, for topping (optional)
750 ml / 3 cups light fish or vegetable broth
Method
Bring a separate saucepan of water to the boil. Add the soba noodles and cook according to packet instructions, usually 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the mushrooms and wakame, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until tender.
In a small bowl, dissolve the miso paste with a ladle of hot broth, then stir it back into the pot. Do not allow the soup to boil once the miso has been added.
Add the cooked soba noodles and crumbled silken tofu. Heat gently until just warmed through.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with spring onion, sesame seeds, and nori flakes if using. Serve warm.
Yin–Yang Balance
This bowl balances expansion and warmth with steadiness and ease. The miso, mushrooms, and long simmered broth offer gentle yang support, warming digestion and strengthening assimilation without heaviness. The wakame and silken tofu bring yin softness and mineral richness, cooling and moistening where there has been dryness or irritation. Buckwheat soba anchors the meal with quiet earth energy, providing sustained nourishment that feels stable rather than stimulating.
Together, the dish is warming yet light. Grounding yet fluid. Supportive to digestion and calming for the nervous system.
Nutrition Facts (approx., per serving)
Energy: 350 kcal
Protein: 25 g
Fat: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g (of which sugars 4 g)
Fibre: 7 g
Rich in: complete plant protein, iodine, calcium, magnesium, antioxidants
Notes & Variations
This is a complete and balanced breakfast — warm, protein rich, and easy to assimilate first thing in the morning.
For a more substantial midday meal, serve alongside simply steamed greens such as pak choi or kale. Their gentle bitterness and fibre add freshness and support liver and digestive function, creating a balanced and satisfying lunch.