It's unusually Vancouver-like in NYC today: cold, rainy, windy... lacking in mountains, though. Oddly enough, I had a great catchup with a friend from the west coast over tea this morning -- it felt like home! I was thoroughly frozen by the time I got back to the apartment and decided to whip up something super-warming to regain the feeling in my limbs.
But what to do with a short amount of time and a random selection of chopped veggies and leftovers in the fridge?
Enter: miso soup [the untraditional way!]. This bowl of goodness took about 5 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of simmering time... not bad, considering what you can get done in 15 minutes if you know soup is at the other end!
Until it starts to get *really spring-like out there, try this recipe for some serious warming, plant-based goodness.


- 2 cups vegan vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 large mushrooms, chopped
- 1/4 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 sheet of kombu (available in most health food stores with the other seaweeds – kombu is the thick, cardstock-like kind)
- 1 tsbp brown rice miso paste
- 1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until slightly browned.
- 2. Add celery, carrots, and mushrooms, sauteeing for 2 minutes longer.
- 3. Add vegetable broth, quinoa, and kombu. Stir to combine.
- 4. Cover and bring to a boil.
- 5. Reduce heat to simmer; then add miso and stir. [Miso shouldn't be boiled.]
- 6. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve!
[…] Sea vegetables – hijiki, wakame, arame, dulse, kelp, kombu, and nori – are great natural sources of salt. I love making miso soup with kombu for a deliciously rich, salty dish when the craving strikes. It’s also super nutrient-dense: try out this recipe here. […]