Miso soup - a new twist

 
I love miso soup but I also love lots of 'stuff' in my soup.  With the on set of cooler weather, I began craving the warmth soup provides.  I came home and 'turned on' my fireplace and got to work!  This is my first time working with bok choy and I am a fan!

Ingredients:
Carrots, 1 cup chopped ($3.99 for a 3 pound bag of organic baby carrots at whole foods)
Garlic, 2 cloves, diced
Scallions, 2 stalks, chopped ($0.69 for 4 stalks at whole foods)
Bok Choy, one bunch, rough chop ($1.27 at whole foods)
Mushrooms, half a package, chopped ($2.49 for a package at whole foods)
Tofu, one package, diced
Miso, organic (I like red miso, it is a little saltier) 2 T (dissolved in some warm liquid - I'll explain below)
Wakame (dried seaweed), 3 T dried, rinsed, soaked in water for 5 minutes ($5.39 for a package at whole foods, I know, it seems like a lot but there are 10 servings!)
Water or vegetable broth, 5 cups

Method:
Bring 5 cups of water or vegetable broth to a boil.  Add carrots and cook until tender. Add garlic, mushrooms, wakame, bok choy, tofu and allow to simmer for a few minutes.Scoop out a little of the warm broth into a bowl and mix in the miso paste. Stir the miso into the soup and simmer for a few more minutes.  *Note: do not allow the broth/soup to boil as it will kill the good bacteria in the miso*  Sprinkle the scallions on at the end for a nice crunch or mix into the warm soup.

I added a dash of soy sauce into my bowl for a little added flavor but found that this particular type pours very quickly, so beware!!  

I also tried a second bowl with Frank's = wow!  Amazing :-)