Mighty Miso Soup
Miso soup is a quick, nutritious and delicious meal or appetizer.
- 4-5 cups spring water
- 1-2 inch strip of organic wakame seaweed (rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water until softened)
- 1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (carrots, celery, broccoli, fresh shiitake mushrooms, -sweet potatoes, spinach)
- 2-3 tsp organic miso paste (found in the supermarket fridge)
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- Chop soaked wakame.
- Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
- Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
- Add root vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
- Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth.
- Allow soup to cook 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with scallions and serve.
Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:
• onion-daikon: cleansing
• onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale: mildly sweet
• onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime
• leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime
Variations:
Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
Add cubed tofu toward the end.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.
If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.
