Buck up
Let's talk shiitake. I was somewhat scared of the lanky stemmed fungi until I visited a pristine ramen shop in London's Soho last spring. These little guys look like something out of a fairy tale — one wrong bite and you may just end your life. At said ramen establishment, a few floated mischievously in my bowl among noodles and bok choy. They were surprisingly non-awful and, bonus, I didn't die.
Keen to play some mushroom roulette (and use up the rest of the leeks from my last soup adventure), I improvised a miso-based shiitake mushroom, leek, and tofu soup with buckwheat soba noodles (Annie's makes a variety of these that look perfectly strange). It took all of 20 minutes to make, and is dairy, gluten, and meat free. Would this taste better with some pork bones simmered in the broth? Hell yeah. Sriracha? Some crushed red pepper? Yesss.
Shiitake Leek Soup with Tofu & Buckwheat Noodles
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts, sliced
- 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp red miso paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sake or white wine
- 1/3 package of buckwheat soba noodles
- 4 oz extra firm tofu, drained and cut into half-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until they begin to soften and brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for five to eight minutes more. Add the miso paste, soy sauce, sake, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the buckwheat noodles, tofu, and scallions, reserving some of the latter for garnish.
Simmer soup for about 10 minutes more, or just until noodles are al dente. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve topped with scallions, crushed red pepper, etc.