Recipe: Quick Miso Noodle Soup

It can be unclear at restaurants whether their miso soup contains gluten. With this super-quick broth, you can start your takeaway sushi meal with a restaurant-quality bowl of soup, just like everyone else. To transform it into a complete meal, simply add noodles and your favorite effortless protein. Kimchi and preserved citrus add layers of bold flavour, but they’re not essential to the dish.

Ingredients

• 5 oz (140 g) 100% buckwheat soba noodles or dried GF spaghetti
• 8 oz (225 g) cooked chicken, shredded, or soft tofu, cubed
• 2 tbsp GF chopped kimchi (optional)
• 2 tbsp dried wakame (seaweed)
• 1 tbsp hondashi (see note)
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp GF miso paste
• 4 oz (115 g) mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, shiitake, and/or shimeji), stems removed and caps sliced
• 4 leaves napa cabbage or other Asian greens, chopped
• 1 scallion, white and green parts separated, chopped
• 1 tbsp unsalted cooking wine or sake
• 4 cups water
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tsp yuzu paste or chopped preserved lemon, or a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Plant-based option

Omit the hondashi, which contains dried fish

Method

• In a medium pot, combine the water, wakame, hondashi, cooking wine, mushrooms, white scallions, and Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavorings to infuse into a broth.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. If using soba noodles, stir frequently, as they’re prone to sticking Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil to prevent clumping.
• Add the chicken and cabbage to the broth and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso in the broth (this is added at the end to preserve the miso’s flavor and nutrients). If using, stir in the kimchi and yuzu paste.
• Divide the noodles and miso broth into noodle soup Add the protein and greens and garnish with green scallions.

Notes

Some hondashis contain yeast extract, which may be spooky for celiacs to see, but in Canada and the U.S., the manufacturer is required to list any common allergens present, and gluten itself is usually not listed. If you’re not comfortable using hondashi, omit it and increase the miso paste to 2 tablespoons.

For a side or appetizer soup, skip on the cabbage and noodles, and use a total of 4 oz (115 g) cubed soft tofu.

Excerpted from My Best Friend is Gluten-Free: 100+ Asian-Inspired Recipes for Bringing People Together by Jannell Lo. Copyright © 2025 Jannell Lo. Photographs by Jessica Kalman. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.