It’s starting to get cold here in New York, and we’re craving hot, spicy soups that are full of healthy vegetables. We absolutely LOVE this recipe for its combination of taste and texture. The tahini adds a creaminess and body to the soup that makes it feel rich and super satisfying. We adapted this recipe from  Half Baked Harvest - we loved her addition of the crispy mushrooms to the soup (so much so that we ate about half the pan of them while we made the rest of the dish, so you might consider doubling the batch!) 

It may look like a lot of ingredients, but hopefully many of them are already in your pantry. If they’re not, go grab them, because we promise you’ll be making this over and over!

We had so much fun cooking this up with our friend Micah before she ran the NYC Marathon-- watch us make it on Youtube and Reels. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

6 c vegetable broth
¼ c soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar or mirin
¼ c Seed + Mill Organic Tahini, plus extra for drizzling on the mushrooms & for serving (our Roasted Garlic Tahini is great here)
3 tbsp white miso paste
4 tbsp chili crisp (we used Momofuku because of it's extra crunch-to-oil ratio) 
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (we used black garlic from Bessou)
4 squares of dried ramen noodles, one for each bowl of soup being served (we used Momofuku) 
4 Japanese eggplants, optional if you can't find them 
4 c green leafy vegetables, roughly chopped (we used pea shoots, but you can use spinach, kale, bok choy, broccoli rabe, etc)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs mixed mushrooms, roughly torn (we used a combo of enoki & shiitake)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced, green part included
4 soft or hard boiled eggs, optional, for serving
Pinch of salt, to taste

STEPS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. 
2. Slice eggplants into halves lengthwise and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until slightly browned (approx. 25 mins).
3. In a large soup pot, combine the broth, 2 cups water, soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, miso, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the broth is fragrant. Taste and adjust the seasoning (eg add a touch of salt, if needed). 
4. While soup is simmering, prepare the crispy mushrooms. On a baking sheet, toss mushrooms with olive oil, a drizzle of tahini, shallots, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the mushrooms are brown and crispy. If they aren't crisping up, broil for 1-2 minutes, until crisp. Watch closely so they don’t burn!
5. Just before serving, bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn heat off. Stir in the ramen noodles and chopped greens, then let it sit for 5 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the crispy mushrooms, soft-boiled eggs (if using), eggplants, sliced green onions, a drizzle of chili crisp and a drizzle of tahini.