Buckwheat Noodles in Matcha Broth with Asian Vegetables

This is perhaps the first winter in years, living in N. California, I felt the need to make soup everyday. It has rained practically everyday and has been really cold. The deal with soup is, it’s not a meal according to my family, they need more food to complete a meal. But soup making takes just as much time, so I don’t like to make additional items. It has to be a proper meal they say, substantially enough,  you know pasta or curry kinda meal. This is what I made and it did satisfied everyone nicely.

Substitute any vegetables you like or if you prefer other proteins please do so. This meal is completely plant based.

** For the broth base I used water from the noodle cooked water. Reason being when you add Miso to water after awhile it starts to separate. The starch from the buckwheat helps to keep the broth homogenized and more consistent. This does not effect the quality of the soup, just esthetics. 

Buckwheat Noodles in Matcha Broth with Asian Vegetables

Makes about 2 meal-sized portions

Vegetables
Gailan or broccolini about 2-3 per person
4 baby bok choy or 2 regular halved
4 shiitake mushroom sliced (2 per person)
8 oz firm organic tofu
1 cup oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms of your choice sliced
1 green onion sliced
1 teaspoon coconut oil for stir frying

Broth
2 buckwheat noodle cakes or any noodle you prefer (1 per person)
Water for cooking the noodles
1 tablespoon culinary grade matcha
1 teaspoon low sodium tamari
1 tablespoon organic white Miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated Ginger

Sesame seeds and hot sauce for garnish

Bring plenty of water to a boil and cook noodles as directed on the package. If using 100% buckwheat noodles drain and save about 2 cups of the cooking water. Set aside. (**’see head notes)
Mix Miso, tamari, ginger, vinegar, and maple syrup into a smooth paste.
Bring the noodle cooked water to a gently simmer. You can use just water if you don’t want to use the noodle water.
Add the Miso paste mixture and stir till completely dissolved.
In a wok warm the oil and stir fry tofu till you get crisp marks, then add vegetables in the order of their doneness. Right before serving whisk in the matcha to the simmering broth till completely mixed, don’t cook further. It will make the broth bitter.
Divide the vegetables, noodles and tofu into 2 bowls. Ladle the steaming broth and serve garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.