Like miso soup?  Turn this fermented soybean broth into a hearty soup worthy of a main meal on a cool Sunday night with mushrooms and store bought wontons.

About the recipe

Used to be I could only find miso paste at Japanese grocery stores. I would buy a bunch of cartons and keep them in the refrigerator. But now I find miso paste at most grocery stores. The selection is limited (you get a choice of one or two types), while at Japanese stores there are over 30 different varieties of miso paste.

No matter where you pick up your miso paste from, this recipe will work for a hearty evening soup or for an afternoon lunch. Here is my recipe for Miso Soup with Mushrooms and Wontons.

Miso Soup with Oyster Mushrooms & Wontons
makes one serving

Ingredients:

• Miso paste 1 – 2 tbsp depending on how strong the miso paste is
• Oyster mushrooms about 1/4 cup or as much as you want.
• 6 sprigs of chives finely chopped
• Extra firm tofu, cut into pieces. About 1/4 cup.
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s frozen Thai Gyoza any variety. Or frozen wontons of your choice. You only need 4-6 wontons for one bowl of soup.
• Dry seaweed if you like.

Directions:

• In a pot boil 2 cups water. Add 1 tbsp miso paste and mix until dissolved. Taste. You may need more miso paste if the flavor doesn’t come through.  Every miso paste has it’s own strength of flavor.
• Add mushrooms, tofu and chives and cook on a slow boil for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile defrost 4-6 wontons in microwave. Add wontons to soup and cook for  additional 3-5 minutes.
• Miso soup with wontons is ready. Add seaweed if you like and serve hot.