When we crave vegetable soup but we don’t want to go through the rigmarole of peeling and chopping various vegetables, we switch to the default — miso soup.
Because miso soup is already tasty and beautifully textured, it doesn’t need a chorus of ingredients to make it sing. A regular can of white asparagus and two handfuls of spinach leaves are more than enough to make soup for four people.
Yes, it’s canned white asparagus. I’m not a huge fan of canned vegetables but we have yet to discover where fresh white asparagus is sold in this country. If it is sold fresh at all. The spinach is fresh though. Not frozen but beautifully fresh with the stalks still busting with water.
White asparagus and spinach miso soup
There are only four ingredients and three of them don't need prepping. That spells quick and easy dish. And tasty, of course.
Ingredients
- 1 can white asparagus
- 2 handfuls spinach leaves rinsed well
- 1 packet dashi granules
- 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste
Instructions
- Drain the mushrooms; save the liquid from the can.
- Add enough liquid from the asparagus to measure four cups. Pour into a pot and heat.
- Add the spinach leaves and asparagus spears to the pot. Cook for a minute after the water boils.
- Turn off the heat. Take half a cup of the liquid and pour into a bowl.
- To the remaining liquid in the pot, stir in the dashi.
- Add the miso paste to the liquid in the bowl and stir until smooth. Stir into the contents of the pot.
- Serve the white asparagus and spinach soup immediately.
