Description
A comforting and flavorful miso soup featuring tender chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and thin rice noodles simmered in a savory miso broth.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ¼” strips
- 2 medium carrots, sliced (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 heads baby bok choy cut into bite-size pieces, about 3 cups
Broth and Seasonings
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine or pale dry sherry
- ½ -1 tablespoon red chili paste (like sambal oelek)
- ¼ cup white miso paste
Noodles and Oils
- 3 oz. thin rice noodles (vermicelli/rice sticks)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Instructions
- Brown the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides for about 2 minutes without cooking through. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the empty pot and heat over medium-high. Add chopped onions and sliced carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add shiitake mushrooms, grated ginger, and minced garlic; sauté for an additional 1 minute.
- Simmer Soup: Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine (or dry sherry), and red chili paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender enough to shred. Remove the chicken and shred when cool enough to handle. Optionally, continue simmering the soup without the chicken to achieve softer mushrooms.
- Prepare Miso Mixture: In a medium bowl, place the ¼ cup white miso paste. Add a ladleful of hot broth and whisk until the miso is fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Finish Soup: Add the thin rice noodles (cut into shorter lengths if desired) and chopped red bell pepper to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Add the baby bok choy, shredded chicken, and the dissolved miso mixture. Cover the pot and let it sit for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are al dente and the bok choy is wilted. Do not boil or simmer the soup after adding the miso, as it will affect the texture.
Notes
- You may substitute shiitake mushrooms with cremini mushrooms; add them with the bell peppers since they cook faster.
- Rice noodles are very long; you can cut them before adding or use kitchen shears to cut them once cooked in the soup.
- White miso paste can be found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores or Asian markets; it’s also available online.
- You can substitute baby bok choy with spinach or kale if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
