Healthy Hojicha Green Tea Miso Soup

Lunchtime and tea time marry in this deeply nourishing seasonal soup from Alexis of Teaspoons & Petals…

This post comes to us from Alexis of Teaspoons & Petals. Imagery shot at Terrain by FP Julie.

Whipping winds and chilled air send me to the stove seeking simple tea-infused soups that can come together in mere moments. One of the easiest ways to begin infusing tea leaves into culinary adventures is to swap water or broth with steeped tea when making soup. For a stronger tea flavor and more intense broth, consider that you will want to add a bit more tea than if you were simply steeping a cup to sip.

Traditional dachi broth is replaced with Hojicha green tea in this tea infused miso soup. Gently roasted over charcoal, Hojicha Japanese green tea steeps to reveal a toasty and nutty flavor that will serve as the base broth for the soup. Spicy hints of ginger balance the salty and savory white miso. Green and white bits of scallion infuse an onion flavor that tangles with earthy shiitake mushrooms and sweet carrots. Pair this warming soup with a cup of steaming hojicha green tea to truly bring out the flavor of the tea. Ladle everything into a mason jar to take to work as a much healthier ‘cup o’ soup’ (simply reheat the soup and stir well to help mix the miso that may have settled), or pour into a bowl to enjoy it on a cozy winter weekend.

Tea Soup 3

Hojicha Green Tea Miso Soup

Makes 1 cup of soup

Ingredients:

4 tbsp hojicha green tea

1 1/4 cups water

3 scallions, thinly sliced (separate white/light green part from dark green)

3/4 tsp minced ginger, add more if you prefer a spicier taste

1 cup shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced (save stems for future use)

1/2 cup carrot (1 large carrot), peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 tbsp white miso paste, more to taste

*note that, while the photo shows chives, you will want to use scallions

Special Tools: tea strainer or small mesh strainer

Steps:

Tea Soup 1

Heat the water to a boil in small pot over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add the hojicha tea leaves and let steep for 30 seconds (any longer will draw out bitterness — so stay close to the pot). Immediately strain out tea leaves and discard (note: you can pour the contents of the pot into a cup or small bowl with a strainer on top to catch the leaves). Rinse out the pot to remove any lingering leaves and add steeped tea back to the pot.

Tea Soup 2

Heat the tea broth over low until it begins to simmer and then add the thinly sliced mushroom caps, carrot slices, minced ginger and the white/light green scallion pieces. Cover the pot and let cook for 5 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, add the white miso paste to a small bowl, the soup bowl or a mug. Add one tablespoon of simmering tea broth to the white miso paste and stir until dissolved. Once the 5 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat and stir in the white miso paste mixture and dark green scallion pieces. Pour into a soup bowl and enjoy immediately.

Tea Soup 4

Thank you to Terrain for serving as a backdrop for this post — follow them on Instagram 

Alexis Siemons is a tea consultant and writer of teaspoons & petals, and is certified in the Foundations of Tea (Level 1 & 2) by the Specialty Tea Institute. Alexis contributes tea recipes and stories to publications, teaches a series of culinary tea classes, and develops tea programs for brands and restaurants/cafes. She recently launched a series of seasonal journals on cooking with tea featuring original tea-infused recipes, stories and photographs (each journal is printed on recycled paper and lovingly wrapped in a vintage handkerchief). Issue 1 is out now! Subscribe to her blog to be notified of the winter journal release. Follow Alexis on Twitter and Instagram, and her blog, Teaspoons and Petals.

Follow FPJulie on FP Me and Instagram

0 0 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
8 years ago

Hi Alexis, I hope this reaches you. I am sharing your green tea miso soup recipe in my blog. It is a lovely recipe and thank you for sharing with the world. Happy holidays to you and yours.