Miso soup with noodles and vegetables

Last days in this wonderful island are passing by faster than ever… I am running out of time, having too many thoughts in my mind, too many jobs to do and days are really not long enough for that!

People who surround me haven’t stop surprising me with their kindness and love! They know that I am flying away soon so everyone is rushing to give me some secret recipes and show the places which was hidden from me before// And there is no space for sadness - I am trying to take everything that is given to me, trying to learn every single lesson and squeeze every single smile from my new friends faces!

And now, lets talk about heart warming soup! I believe that every soup creates more or less the same good feelings but this one is special because I finally learned how to use Miso paste!

I was always keen on Asian spices and pastes but I was never brave enough to use it but my dear Sonia encouraged me and now I have this huge chest of new tastes opened in front of my eyes and I sure gonna use it!

Sooo, for 6 portions of my Miso soup you will need:

- 1 small cabbage (or kale leaves)

- 2 medium size carrots

- slice of pumpkin

- 3 cloves of garlic

- piece of ginger root

- 1 small chilli pepper

- 1 onion

- half of medium size leek

- handful of dried or fresh mushrooms

- water

- 1-2 spoons of Miso paste

- 2 spoons of sesame seed oil

- noodles of your choice (I used buckwheat noodles)

*** You can choose your own VEGETABLES, you really do not have to put the way that I show:) if you have paprika, zucchini or aubergine - that is also perfect!

NOODLES: I would recommend to prepare them in the very beginning so that it would not bother you latter. Boil water, put salt, boil the noodles as they say on the package, strain it and pour some cold water on them. Drain it and drizzle with some oil, keep it in container with a lid (so they wouldn’t dry)

MUSHROOMS: if you are using fresh mushrooms you only have to cut them, but if you are using dry mushrooms - do not forget to soak them with hot water at first:

Later wash and cut the vegetables

Heat sesame seed oil in Wok pan

At first - fry carrots for 1 min

Then add garlic, chilli, onion, ginger and leek

After 2-3min add Miso paste and mushrooms

Finally put cabbage and pumpkin, pour water (to cover all the vegetables) put the lid on top and boil for 15min) Taste it, if it needs more salt you can add soy sauce, salt or more Miso