Chilli and Lime - Asian flavours with an awesome twist

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Sometimes we all need a little food therapy. Everyone has their favourite comforting meals, however most of us tend to gravitate towards high-calorie, deep fried foods as the saving dish of the day when we are in need. What if I have a recipe that contains a lot less calories, vibrant,delicious, full of nutrients and satisfies your craving at the same time. Will you be interested? This pumpkin miso soup with udon noodles is just the ticket.

Our main hero ingredient in this recipe is Andy’s ( my husband ) all time favourite vegetable. Pumpkin is full of beta carotene, fiber and many vitamins our body needs. In this recipe, I’d recommend Japanese Pumpkin for the smooth, light texture and a mild sweetness.

Miso is Japanese fermented soybean paste that has a salty umami flavor which helps to elevate the flavor to another level. It is also full of probiotics which are amazing for our stomach. There are many kinds of miso available, but in this recipe we’ll be using white miso.

Last, but one of the main ingredient I need to mention is the noodles. I’ll be using thin instant udon – which are soft, chewy and easy to find in the supermarket. You can also use ramen, soba or somen noodles.

This might not be the most authentic recipe, but I adapted the ingredients and measurements from many inspiring recipes to my own liking. I hope the recipe can give you guys the same level of comfort and luscious feeling that it gives me.

Pumpkin Miso Soup with Udon Noodle Recipe

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Portions: 4 portions

You’ll need:

Pumpkin puree – 2 cups
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Ginger – 1 big thumb size
White miso – ⅓ cup
Mirin – 2 tablespoons (mirin is a kind of sweet Japanese condiment available in most Asian stores)
Spring onions – 2-3 stems (white part for flavour in the soup and green part for garnishing)
Vegetable stock – 4 cups
Warm water – ½ cup (for miso)
Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
Sesame oil – 1 tablespoon
Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce-Optional)
Thin Udon noodles – 250grams
Mushroom (Shimeji) – 100-200 grams
Bean sprouts (as you like) – 100-200 grams
Seaweed and toasted sesame seeds for garnish
A pinch of salt

Preparation

To make the pumpkin puree: - Wash the pumpkin and pat it dry. - Cut into big wedges and peel the skin. - Add to the steamer for 20 – 30 minutes or until fork tender. - Remove from the steamer and let it cool down. Mash the pumpkin with a fork.

If you buy canned pumpkin puree, please sure it’s 100% pumpkin with no added sugar or spices

Prepare the other ingredients: - Finely chop the garlic and ginger - Roughly chop the spring onion - Cut mushroom into smaller chunks - Wash and keep bean sprout in water til you are ready to cook them, so they won’t wilt and turn brown

Let’s start!

For the soup: - Put a medium sized pot on medium heat. When the pot is hot, add vegetable oil and sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add garlic, ginger and the white part of spring onion. - Cook til it is fragrant and translucent, then add pumpkin puree. Stir quickly then add mirin. - Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the stock. Wait until the soup boils, then turn the heat down to simmer for 15 minutes. - In a separate bowl dissolve the miso with water, then add to the soup after you’ve turned off the heat. If you add miso when the soup is still boiling, you might kill the probiotic goodness. After adding miso, it should be salty enough, but if you prefer it saltier, you can add a dash of some shoyu (soy) sauce to taste.

For the vegetables and the noodles: - In a deep pot add water and a pinch of salt, wait til it’s boiling vigorously. Add your bean sprouts, cook until they are semi-translucent – around 4.5 minutes, remove then put them in cold water to stop the cooking process. - Do the same with mushroom and Udon/Somen noodles (cook according package instructions – usually boil for a few minutes then submerge in cold water – you’ll be able to taste when they’re ready). I used thin instant udon, which took around 4 - 5 minutes to cook.

Assemble: - Add the cooked bean sprouts and top with noodles. Ladle some soup into a bowl then garnish with mushrooms, spring onions (green part), shredded seaweed and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle over little bit of sesame or chilli oil and enjoy!