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We changed the clocks this past weekend and that means sunset at 4:34 p.m. This is never happy news in my book. There had been some legislation proposed to keep us on Daylight Savings Time all year, but once again that seems to have fizzled out, so here we are, picking kids up from soccer practice in the dark, and yawning at 8 p.m.
A balance of nature?
Oddly, we did not get our first frost or freeze until Nov. 1 this year! For a cold climate like ours, that’s unlikely since we can expect that first drop in temps by the end of September. However, I guess it is a kind of balance since we had a hard freeze in mid-May that damaged a great deal of our apple blossoms and thus the crop. Even stranger, my roses are still blooming like it is mid-June, while just about everything else in the garden has succumbed to the cold snap. It must have been all that rain.
Spring bulb planting
Yesterday, my daughter helped me plant over a hundred spring bulbs – daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and some summer Stargazer lilies, one of my favorites. It was a balmy 55 degrees out, but extremely windy, so we worked efficiently and got the job done well before that early sunset. Other than a last cleanup of pulled weeds, the garden is ready for its winter nap.
A short satisfying simmer
I love a long-simmered soup that fills the house with tantalizing aromas. But after a lot of fresh air and hard work, we might want something a little faster that is still as satisfying.
Your choice
This is a quick soup that is really good for you and full of flavor. Use any mushroom you like. Here, I used a mix of shiitake and oyster mushrooms grown locally, but crimini would be lovely here as well, even a humble button mushroom.
Add a little green
If peas are in season, use them by all means. But they are available here such a short time, thawed frozen peas work fine. You could also chop up some snow peas or sugar snaps, or toss in some green beans if that’s what you have, which is what I used this time around, salvaged from the previous night’s dinner.
Quick noodles
For a quick cook, I used the brown rice vermicelli that doesn’t really need to be cooked at all, it just softens in the hot broth. It’s ingredients are brown rice, rice bran, and tapioca. They are very thin, thus the quick cook. However, if you have a favorite noodle, toss them in halfway through the cooking time. Fresh noodles would be prefect here.
Mushroom and Miso Noodle Soup
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. assorted mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch knob of ginger, grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 quart mushroom or vegetable stock
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed, or other veggie
- 1 tbsp. dark miso
- 4 to 8 oz. brown rice vermicelli noodles
In a stock pot, heat the oil and add the mushrooms, onions, and carrot. Sauté until the onions have turned translucent, then add the garlic and ginger, letting them bloom for a minute or so. Season with lots of fresh pepper, then add the stock. Hold off on the salt until you add the miso and taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until the carrots are tender.
Cut off the heat, remove a half-cup or so of the broth and mix in the miso so there will be no salty lumps. Add it back to the pot along with the peas and noodles. Cover and let sit for a few minutes so the noodles can soften. Taste for salt and pepper.
You can dress this up any way you like, but it is pretty delicious as is, with perhaps a slice of hearty bread.
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We do love a warm bowl of miso noodle soup! This one sounds and looks delicious!
Thank you! It was so easy, and so tasty!
That looks delicious and I love having peas in my soup!
They are often that last little thing that makes the soup a little more interesting.
Looks like a delicious and comforting soup.
Thank you Jovina! It sure hit the spot!
I’m with you, I’m having a hard time starting dinner after dark. Making a bowl of your hearty brothy soup during the daytime and heating it up for dinner might be a better plan!
It’s a perfect plan on my book!
This looks so good it might clear up my skin issues! Absolutely fabulous. Printing…Hugs, C
It might! Ginger is good for all kinds of things! I’m pretty sure I heard it was helpful for psoriasis. These things are always worth a try, especially if they are tasty!
This sounds wonderful! Love the ingredients.
Thank you! Quick and warming!
Shall most certainly copy your soup with all the ingredients but am not so certain how I would do living out your way 🙂 !!! Absolutely love Summer Daylight Saving time but . . . at no time in the year does it get dark before 5pm here or be light after 7am. Balmy 55F? Yoicks . . . No one here would venture out until matters stood at least 10-15 your degrees warmer 🙂 !!!
The darkness is the hardest.
Yes, right now 55 is ‘Don’t bother to put on a fiat’ weather.
Woke up to 2” of snow this morning. Need a coat.
Hi, Dorothy – Once again you have combined some of my favourite ingredients into one simple recipe. And now is definitely soup season! <3
I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one my friend!
Dark at 4:30 pm! Yikes – and here I am complaining about it getting dark an hour later. I can’t say I hate Winter but the darkness is the one aspect that hits me hard. So bring on warming soups like yours! Ginger eh – always a winner. I bet this soup was just the ticket after all that gardening!
It was perfect, even more so because it was quick!
When I was back home in Europe I hated that at 4:30pm was dark already 😣 I hated it even more than the cold 😅
A delicious soup for dark days 😉
Thanks Rihana!
I hate the dark more than the cold too!
Noodle soup makes any day better, especially if there are mushrooms. Looks cozy and delicious!
Thank you! Cozy is a perfect word!
Perfect recipe for a cold, rainy/snowy day like today. 🙂 It’s interesting how roses seem to perk right up once the temps start dropping. As for the recent time change, I wish they’d pick one and stick with it. I’ve gotten out a couple of strands of tiny white lights just to brighten up the evening. Too dark, too early. 🙂
My roses are not so happy this morning; I woke up to a blanket of white!
Mmmmm, sounds wonderful!
Thank you Jenna!
November roses, how beautiful. I’m not so keen on the snow, though! Your soup is just perfect for these gloomy, shortening days, the season of unapologetic comfort food has most definitely begun. 😊
By the end of the day yesterday, it warmed up, rained some more, and took away the snow. The roses popped back out, hanging onto dear life!
Back to the stove!
Your roses are still going! We’ve had a few cold mornings here but overall pretty mild compared to last year at this time. This soup is yummy ~ I would devour it!
Thank you!
I can’t believe the ruses either! Up close, they look a little ratty, but they still lend their color to the yard. They bounced back after the snow melted!
I love noodle soups and this sounds really good! Perfect for a chilly autumn day! 🙂
It was really warming on a cold day!
Noodle soup is very popular here …I love a good bowl of noodle soup yours sounds delicious 🙂
Thank you Carol!
How is your book coming?
Very soon.. Fingers Crossed x
🩷
Noodle soups are the best, I am going to try this one soon!
I think you’ll like it! Easy too!
I haven’t cooked with miso before, but this looks so good, I’m tempted to give it a try!
I always have a jar in the refrigerator, my little secret flavor bomb that can liven things up. Sometimes, I even make miso soup out of it! 😂
I’ve locked and loaded this one, Dorothy. I luv the flavour of miso in so many dishes. This one is definitely a keeper!
Here in Oz summer is with us one day (in spring), then it is quite cool. There’s no telling what the weather will bring. Even our Christmas bush, that normally has its bright red flowers by Christmas, is ablaze with colour – confusion all around us in nature!
Nature has been extremely fickle this year!
I feel warmer just looking at this soup, Dorothy! Miso is an ingredient that I’ve only recently started to explore. I know it’s excellent for lending rich flavor to vegan dishes. So nice of your daughter to help you with all those bulbs. She’s a keeper! 🙂
I don’t know why I kept procrastinating! It actually took precious little time, and we had fun planting them. I guess I just needed company!
Your soup is right up my alley ! It’s vegan, gluten-free and looks delicious! I’m always in the mood for soup !
I make soup every week, a big batch, and we eat it for several meals. I’m sure you do the same thing!
Soup is always a favorite!
And so warming this time of year!
I see the post twice. Once with (this one) and once without the possibility to like and comment. The sun sets at 4:30pm here at the moment, too, which is one of the reasons why I ‘fled’ to the southern hemisphere for a couple of weeks.
I know! The happiness engineers weren’t much help, said I should change my theme, which seems a bit complicated, especially since it hasn’t happened since , so I’m pretty sure it was another of their gremlins.
I hope you got lots of sunshine!
Gosh, this looks delicious, especially on a nippy fall morning. Though my wife is the predominate cook in the family, OI like to mess around with soups. Perhaps I’ll surprise her with this one.
It would be a lovely surprise!