Spinach and Tofu Miso Soup

I was thrilled to have stock saved from poached (organic grain fed) chicken breasts which was made a couple of weeks earlier and frozen. I decided that this week's dinners will be accompanied by a spinach and miso tofu soup, in the Chinese tradition of serving soup to accompany the meal albeit with a slight Japanese twist. Miso soups are usually made from a stock of steeped bonito fish flakes or from kombu and carry the briny flavour of the sea. Using chicken stock, allows the soup to take on a homier comforting flavour. Adding enough ingredients and the soup could become an entire meal in a bowl.
I used what I had available in the fridge (button mushrooms, green onion and a block of extra firm tofu) and bought a bunch of spinach to complete the dish.

Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken stock
2 TBSP white miso
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 scallions (green onions)
1 block of extra firm tofu cut into small cubes.
1 bunch of spinach.

First, I blanched the spinach separately and squeezed it together into a tight roll which was then sliced into smaller blocks. Each 'block' of spinach was then placed into a separate bowl.

To prepare the soup, bring the chicken stock to a boil.
Add in the cubed tofu and mushrooms.
Use approximately one ladleful of stock to dissolve the miso in a separate bowl and then add the dissolved miso back into the stock. I tend to err on the cautious side of salty and add the miso in small increments until the flavour is to my liking.
Once the soup is boiling again, stir well and then remove from the heat. It is at this point I add in the chopped green onions. They tend to retain their oniony freshness this way.
Ladle the soup into the bowls with the spinach and serve.

Mmm, delicious on a cold winter night.