I was craving a steaming bowl of brothy soup today, but did not have the patience to make something from scratch. Instead, I grabbed a box of Whole Foods’ 365 brand miso soup out of the cupboard, some pre-sliced baby portobello mushrooms, leftover pork loin, a bundle of bean vermicelli, and then topped it with a bunch of fresh cilantro out of the veggie crisper. The whole dish took 5 minutes to make. And it was tasty, warming and filling.
After thinking about it, I realized this would probably be a great car camping meal. You can also make a backpacking version of this recipe using instant miso soup, dried herbs, and dehydrated mushrooms of your choice.
Typically, each one to two-serving instant miso packet weighs between 0.5 and 1.05 oz – just the right weight for backpacking. If you can find soup packets with tofu, all the better, though you can also find freeze-dried tofu at Whole Foods or online from Eden Organic.
Edward & Sons makes instant vegan miso soups in a variety of flavors that they sell as Miso-Cup®, despite the fact they come in envelope packets. You can also find instant miso soup packets from Kikkoman, San-J, Sushi Chef, and Mishima. Just check your grocer’s Asian foods aisle or visit an Asian grocery store and see what they have. You could also buy a multi-packet box from Amazon if you plan to eat them regularly.
Rice or bean vermicelli is lightweight, as well, and typically gluten-free – be sure to check all labels.
Car Camping Miso Mushroom Soup Recipe
Makes 4 servings
- 32 oz tetra-pak 365 Organic brand vegan miso soup
- Or boil 4 cups of vegetable broth with 3 Tbsp of miso paste
- 8 oz crimini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 8 oz silken tofu, leftover cooked pork, chicken, or beef, chopped
- 2 vermicelli bundles
- 3 green onions, diced (for garnish)
- Optional: can of bamboo shoots, drained; red pepper flakes to taste; handful of cilantro
Instructions
At home: Chop/dice/slice all tofu, meat, and vegetables. Place in separate baggies.
Heat soup base. Add mushrooms, tofu/meat, vermicelli noodles – and any other veg you’d like to add – to soup. Cook for 2-3 minutes (until noodles are soft.) Remove from heat and add green onions, red pepper flakes, and/or cilantro.
Backpacking Vegetarian Miso Mushroom Soup Recipe
Makes 1 hearty serving
Total weight: ~ 4.5 – 5.5 oz per serving (not including water); the herbs and spices don’t add a lot of weight, but are optional if you need to cut weight/meal.
- 1 or 2 packets of instant miso soup (You need enough miso soup mix for 2 cups of water. Some brands offer 1-cup packets; others 2-cup packets – pack accordingly.)
- ½ tsp dried chives
- ½ tsp dried cilantro
- Black pepper and red chili flakes, to taste
- ½ to 1 whole vermicelli bundle (1 to 2 oz); using a full bundle will yield a thicker soup and more carbs, obviously
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 2 oz dried tofu
- 0.3 oz dehydrated mushrooms (the smaller/thinner the pieces, the more quickly this soup cooks)
Instructions
At home, open miso broth packet(s); pour into a small sandwich baggy along with spices and noodles. Chop dehydrated mushrooms and tofu into pea-size pieces; place together in a separate baggy.
At camp, add mushrooms and tofu to boiling water; boil for 2 minutes and then let soak, covered, for another 10 minutes. Re-heat water to boiling and stir in miso soup mix, herbs, and noodles for a minute. Cover and let soak for 3 to 4 minutes longer, until noodles are soft. Serve.