Five Minute Soup

A friend writes about her daughter inventing a soup recipe. It's a fairly complicated soup recipe!

In contrast, here is my simple five-minute soup recipe that I use all the time, in case the siblings want a head start on their attempts. ;-)

Note that I use a larger bowl than normal so I do not spill while stirring, and so the plastic plate we use to cover items in the microwave does not get anything but steam on it.

First, pour in frozen vegetables from a bag.¹ If you want noodles, add them too.² Add enough water to cover them; if your kitchen has an instant hot water spout then use that.

Second, microwave the frozen vegetables for a minute or two until they are mostly thawed. During this time cube half a box of extra-firm tofu.³

Third, remove the vegetables and water from of the microwave. Pour out half the water. Add between a teaspoon and tablespoon of organic miso⁴, depending upon how much you like it. Add the tofu cubes. Add rice (or duk) if you want it.⁵ Add seaweed flakes or strips if you like that.

Fourth, microwave everything for another minute. Stir and the soup is ready!

(Another great thing about miso is that Smiley loves it. If I am having trouble getting him to eat his vegetables then I microwave them in a Pyrex measuring cup with some water and miso. Ta da! Flavored vegetables he loves.)

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¹My personal preference is the Trader Joe's Vegetable Hodgepodge but more often I use something on sale at the local grocery store.

²The trick is to find noodles that get soft in the same time that frozen vegetables thaw. The noodle thickness will depend upon your microwave, whether you use rice of wheat flour noodles, and whether you use instant hot water. The initial experimentation is a bother, but once you have found the right noodles you're set forevermore.

³Tofu keeps well in the fridge if you fill the box with enough water to cover the unused tofu. If I open a new box to make this soup then I have about a week to be in a soup mood again.

⁴Soy products are the one item that everyone should buy organic, even if you are a healthy adult with a strong immune system. Non-organic soy products can be dangerous. The Cold Mountain brand is also gluten-free.

⁵You do have cooked rice in the fridge, right? I admit I use rice or noodles, but I suppose someone could use both simultaneously.