Spring Chicken Miso Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless
• skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• minced
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon mirin or sherry
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce
• 8 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas
• trimmed
• 8 cups water
• 2 medium leeks
• white and tender green part
• diced
• about 2 cups
• 1/4 cup white miso
• or more to taste
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• about 4 cups
• A few basil or shiso leaves
• julienned

Instructions

1. Season chicken thighs on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Put oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium high heat.
3. Add thighs and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, reducing heat to keep meat from browning.
4. Turn and cook other side for about 2 minutes.
5. Add garlic and ginger and let sizzle without browning.
6. Add mirin, sugar, tamari and 8 cups water, then bring mixture to boil.
7. Lower heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
8. Turn off heat.
9. Remove thighs and chop into 1/2-inch chunks, then return meat to pot.
10. Taste broth and adjust salt if necessary.
11. In a separate pot, cook buckwheat noodles according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.
12. Drain noodles and refresh with cool water, then leave at room temperature.
13. Bring a small pot of salted water to boil.
14. Add snap peas and leeks and simmer 1 minute, then drain and refresh with cool water.
15. Leave at room temperature.
16. To serve, reheat broth to just under a boil.
17. Dilute miso with a little hot broth and whisk into soup.
18. Add spinach and let wilt slightly, then add leeks and snap peas and let them warm for 1 minute.
19. Divide the noodles among 6 warmed bowls and ladle soup over.
20. Top each bowl with a little basil.