Soup's On! (Homemade Veggie Miso-Ramen Soup, that is)

This weekend the Pope came to Philly, and I went to Syracuse. I thought about staying in the area and maybe even trying to join the throngs for a glimpse of Pope Francis waving from his Fiat, but I decided that, on the whole, it wasn't worth it. So instead I had myself a Popecation and went to visit my friend Dan. It was a tiny bit chilly, fall creeping in just enough to make hot soup sound like a plan. So we made ramen. 

When I think of the ideal ramen I think of a hole-in-the-wall in the east village where my dad and sisters and I had the best dinner ever on a frigid night in February a couple years ago. Granted, I think most warm things would have tasted fantastic that night, but there was something particularly marvelous about the steamy, salty, choc-full-of-flavor bowls. Nothing I make could live up to that. Nonetheless, I enjoy cooking up my own soup. It's easy and healthy (except for the sodium of the miso) and, of course, it's delicious. We used ingredients we had around-- feel free to vary up the veggies with whatever you like/don't! We ended up with too much broth and veggies for the amount of noodles we made, but it's easy enough to cook more noodles for leftovers. The broth gets stronger overnight, so leftovers are super delicious!

Also, as a little disclaimer, I have no clue how real ramen and real miso soup are made. I don't know if my cooking methods are as off base from what's authentic as General Tso's Chicken is from what you'd find in Beijing. But I know that what I make tastes good, so I'll take it. Maybe you will too. 

Ingredients 

• 4 oz ramen noodles-- not the instant kind (although perhaps those would work in a pinch?). You may have to go to an asian grocery store for these, although we found them at Wegmans. Soba or udon could also work well for this dish. 
• 1 TBS sesame oil (or regular canola oil, if you don't have sesame)
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly but not diced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 scallions, chopped (whites and greens)
• 1 hot pepper, chopped small (optional)
• 1/3 container of firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup broccoli, stems and florets, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bell pepper (ours was yellow), diced
• 1 cup kale, thick stems removed, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
• 1/4 cup miso-- We used red. Each color has its own flavor. Experiment and see what you like!
• 6 cups water
• soy sauce to taste
• 2 eggs 

Procedure

• There are 3 pieces to this: eggs, noodles, soup. 
• Eggs and noodles can be done before you start the broth or while the broth is simmering, whichever is easier
• Soft boil the eggs. If you have a preferred method, lovely. We put them in cold water and cut the heat after 3 minutes of boiling, then rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Cook the ramen according to package directions. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. 
• 
• For the broth, begin by heating the sesame oil in a medium pot.
• Add the garlic, ginger, hot pepper, and scallions and cook over medium heat until fragrant.
• 
• Stir in the tofu, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add a little more oil if they start sticking. 
• Gradually add in the water and the miso paste and stir. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. 
• Stir in the pepper and kale. Allow the broth to continue to simmer for at least 15 minutes, until the flavors begin to meld. Add the carrots almost at the end so they stay nice and crisp. Taste and add soy sauce or a little more miso if the flavor isn't strong enough. You can also add hot chile oil if you want a spicier soup.
• When the veggies are cooked and the broth is as flavorful as you want it to be, peel the eggs and slice them in half. Place some noodles into a bowl with half an egg and ladle the veggies and broth overtop. Mix, slurp, and try not to burn your tongue.