Somen (Nyumen) Miso Soup, Ready in 10 Minutes

So far 2011 has started just like 2010 came to an end, busy. But I'm not complaining, who wouldn't rather be busy with too much to do then bored with nothing to do. I do have a question for those of you that have children, go to a 9-5 job, cook, clean, and blog- how do you find all that time to do all of the aforementioned plus have time to photograph, write, visit all of your favorite blogs, and still have time to enjoy life? Even those of you that are stay at home parents, how do you guys do it all? Do you guys have clones? And where can I get one?

Lately I have been trying to challenge myself on how to prepare good and healthy meals with limited time. Today I have one of those "challenge" meals. It is a warming, delicious and pretty healthy soup. It's called Somen Miso Soup and it will take you about 10 minutes (or less) to prepare. Somen are pale, really thin Japanese wheat noodles. They are typically eaten or served cold and when prepared or served warm the name changes to Nyumen. (There is a fun way of serving the cold Somen called nagashi somen, they flow down a long bamboo tube and running cold water, the people stand over the tube and try to catch the flowing noodles with their chopsticks. Check out Youtube for the fun demonstrations.) Since the somen is very thin it takes a very small amount of time to cook. I cheated when it came to the miso, I used Kikkoman Instant AKA (Red) Miso Soup packages. Even though I always keep a package of fresh miso paste I love to have those Kikoman packs to grab a quick snack because they are delish! The bad thing is that the package has MSG and for the most part I try to avoid it but oh well. If you don't have the red miso packs you could also use the Shiro miso or white miso packages.

Ingredients for 1 serving:
1 packet instant miso soup,Kikkoman Instant AKA (Red) Miso Soup
1/2 serving Somen noodle, they come bound together per serving just use half
hot water, according to package or adjust to taste

optional toppings:
wakame
scallions
tofu

1. Boil enough water for the noodles and the instant soup mix. *Tip* I have an electric kettle that boils the water in no time, this will really make the process go faster. Fill the electric kettle and boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, which will typically say boil the noodles for about 4-5 minutes. Drain the noodles, run under cold water and set aside. Running the noodles under cold water stops them from cooking further.
2. Add the miso pack or packets to a large bowl. Stir in water until fully dissolved. Place the noodles in the bowl(s) and stir. If you would like to add any additional toppings do so before serving.

That's it, super simple! This isn't much of a recipe since it's a total no-brainer. But trust me the soup will be really good and when pressed for time this is a great meal option. I've served it both for lunch and double the recipe, per person, for a light dinner. So what about you guys, do you have a go to meal that is both a no-brainer and ready in no time but still healthy? Leave me the links to them in the comments, I'd love to see your dishes!

*Little reminder in case you missed it, You can now sign up for the January edition of YBR here*