A Recipe for Miso Soup

Vanessa's Hearty Healing Miso Soup

I really love Miso Soup.  I love how simple it can be to prepare.  And I love how it makes me feel.  It's great for cool winter evenings to warm you up, or if you are feeling a little under-the-weather as a good pick-me-up.   My own basic recipe usually contains water, miso, garlic, carrot, seaweed, collard greens, scallions, ginger, tofu, mushrooms and hot sauce, and I can whip it up in about 15 minutes so it's perfect for a quicky healthy dinner.  We get our miso in bulk from the coop, and have been really enjoying black miso of late.  If you don't have access to organic bulk miso (byo containers), do look for high quality organic miso, preferably in glass containers. 

Miso is a naturally fermented food which is a wonderful digestive aid and probiotic.  This (and sometimes a little tofu) is the only soy product that I consume.  (I stay away from all GMO soy products and soy milk!)

My lovely client Vanessa spent some time living in Japan and is a bit of a pro in the Japanese cuisine department so I asked her if she'd please share her favourite miso soup recipe.  Note that her recipe calls for fish broth, so for a veggie version you'll make the appropriate changes.   

Vanessa's Hearty Healing Miso Soup ^_^

You Will Need:

~ 3 1/2 cups of Dashi broth (contains fish. To make sure it has no fish you have to make your own dashi - recipe below)

~ 1/2 block of firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1/4in cubes

~ 3Tbs miso paste (white or red, your choice. I usually use white)

~ 1 or 2 scallions, finely chopped

~ Any other veggies you may want to include 

~ Splash of sake (optional) 

DASHI BROTH

~ 15 square inches of kombu (you can get kombu at most natural food stores, or a Japanese market if there's one handy)

~ 4 1/4 cups cold water

~ 1/2 cup of bonito flakes (optional - this is the fish)

To make the dashi broth:

1. Soak the kombu for 20 minutes (longer if you want a strong smokey flavor), then place the pot over medium heat.

2. When water starts to boil (small bubbles around the edges of the pot), remove from heat and, if you are adding the fish, add the fish (if you're skipping the fish, skip to the last step for dashi broth).

3. When fish flakes start to sink (3-4 minutes after you add them), pour the broth through a strainer lined with cloth or a coffee filter.

4. Remove the kombu, and save whatever you don't use for up to 4 days in the fridge.

SOUP RECIPE

1. Cut up and evenly distribute among your soup bowls the scallions (and any other veggie goodies you plan to add to the soup).

2. Bring the dashi broth to a boil over high heat. When the stock is boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the tofu. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Before serving, place the Miso in a bowl, ladle some broth into the bowl (enough to cover the miso), stir to mix thoroughly, and pour the contents of the bowl back into the broth in the pot. Stir to mix.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls. You can garnish with parsley or mitsuba (if you can find it), or even with shredded seaweed.

Enjoy!   

Love Vanessa ^_^