Fasting miso soup

What connects Poland and Korea? Fermented foods. Fermented cabbage, to be exact. Fermented cabbage that saved the lives of our peasant ancestors. Fasting soups made with fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and sour rye soup were a staple of the Polish peasant diet.

Miso and kimchi are Asian fermented foods similar to sauerkraut and sour rye soup. They are used in traditional fasting soups of the Polish peasantry.

INGREDIENTS:
1 liter of vegetable broth (see NOTES)
30g of rapeseed oil
200–300g of red miso paste (see NOTES)
300g of cauliflower (1/2 small head)
300ml of sauerkraut/kimchi juice
200g of smoked tofu (1 block)
125g of Chow Mein noodles (1/2 package)
100g of shallots (2 pieces)
3 cloves of garlic (15g)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add miso and oil to the broth, mix well, preferably with a whisk, and heat over low heat. It’s best to start with 200g of miso and add more if necessary.
Cut the shallots into thin strips and add them to the broth.
Cut the tofu into strips. I used smoked tofu, so I added that.
Mash or finely chop the garlic and let it sit for a few minutes. This is very important to allow the garlic to release its antibacterial…