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Recipe of the Month
Mighty Miso Soup
Miso soup is the Japanese version of chicken soup – a combination soul food and comfort food. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast in Japan as a daily staple. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans and is full of antioxidants like vitamin E and protective fatty acids. It's healthful and makes a delicious meal. Note: to preserve the nutritional properties, miso should never be boiled. Add it to a soup at tne end of cooking as indicated below.
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Yields: 4-5 servings
Ingredients:
1-2 inch strip of wakame rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water, until softened
1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice, see note
4-5 teaspoons barley miso
2 scallions, finely chopped
4-5 cups spring water
Directions:
1. Chop soaked wakame.
2. Discard soaking water or use on house plants for a boost of minerals.
3. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
4. Add root and ground vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso in it. Return it to the pot.
7. Reduce heat to very low, do not boil or simmer miso broth.
8. Allow this to cook 2-3 minutes.
9. Garnish with scallions and serve.
Variations:
* Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
* Add a tablespoon of quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
* Add cubed tofu toward the end.
* Add bean sprouts toward the end.
* Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for a great pungent taste.
* If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.
Notes:
Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classical combinations:
* onion-daikon, this combination is very cleansing
* onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale
* leek-fresh corn-broccoli, great for summertime
* onion-winter squash-cabbage, great in wintertime
