Quick and Healthy Chicken Miso Soup with Rice

I used to live with one of my best mates who’s half Japanese. When we had a really big night out, she’d always make us miso soup and rice the next morning when we were hung over. If I’m feeling a bit yucky or I need a bit of a pick me up, I always reach for the miso… and tummy tamer Japanese tea.

What You Need

(feeds about four… depending on how many of them are males in their 20s)

2 zucchini, spiralised or finely chopped

2 carrots, spiralised or finely chopped

2 chicken breasts, diced

200gms of diced firm tofu

A few handfuls of sliced fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

A few tablespoons of miso paste

A splash of peanut oil

Basmati rice to serve

Rice seasoning (available at Asian supermarkets or in the Asian section at your local supermarket)

What You Do

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Stir fry chicken until brown.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of miso paste. Stir fry for 1 minute.

3. Add tofu and garlic. Stir fry for 3 minutes.

4. Add all vegetables. Stir fry for three minutes.

5. Add a few cups of water. If you want it very soupy add lots, if you want it thicker and more like a stew, add less water. You can also add a few more tablespoons of miso at this stage. I’m pretty hardcore and like my miso SUPER cloudy but it might be best to start slow if you’re new to cooking with miso.

6. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

7. Serve on a bed of cooked basmati rice and sprinkle with rice seasoning.

Tips

* I bought my spiraliser here and it changed my life. I’m a huge vegetable eater and sometimes I just get totally jack of preparing them in the same way. The spiraliser makes me feel like I’m eating in a fancy pants restaurant. I also used spiralised carrots and zucchini as an alternative to pasta. Delish!

* I buy giant bags of pre-peeled garlic from the Asian supermarket. This stuff is THE SHIT. I often omit garlic from a recipe because I’m too damn lazy to peel it. I bought a bag big enough to have me in garlic until next September. I highly recommend.

* Again, because laziness dictates almost all of my food purchases, I buy those heat up rice bags from the supermarket. Yes, they are expensive compared to cooking your own rice but sometimes my time is worth more than my money. Sometimes.

* I always use basmati rice because it has a low GI and keeps you fuller for longer.

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