Traditional Japanese Miso Soup

When I was living in West Palm Beach Florida, I practically lived at the local Whole Foods. It was near my place of work making it an easy stop for lunch. One winter when I was really sick I ate the Miso soup everyday. To this day whenever I am sick I love to snuggle up with a cup of miso soup.

Miso soup has long been known for its healing properties. Miso, a fermented bean paste, is rich with antioxidants, fatty acids, protein and vitamins and minerals such E and B12 to boost the immune system. The added seaweed is packed with additional health benefits. There are many versions of miso soup. Some include adding a variety of vegetables. Traditionally Japanese make miso as part of the meal. It is mostly common to have Miso Soup for breakfast. Miso soup an important part of Japanese culture that new brides were expected to learn how to make the soup from her mother-in-law, because it’s so important to her husband’s happiness that she make it the way he’s used to. The following recipe is a typical version of Miso Soup.

The ingredients can look intimidating. Depending on where you live they can be hard to find. Try a natural food store or an Asian market. Pre-made dehydrated soup packets are also available.

Miso is very delicate paste or powder make from soybeans or rice. Boiling it destroys the health giving properties of the miso. It is best to mix the miso with a small amount of soup liquid until dissolved. Turn the heat off, before adding the miso to the pot. Miso comes in white, yellow and red. The darker the coloring the more robust the flavor.

Wakame is a medium-firm seaweed or kelp that is readily available in vacuum-sealed packets, and should be reconstituted according to package directions. Do not confuse with nori, which will dissolve instantly.

Tofu is Soybean curd. Usually found in the produce department refrigerated area. Tofu comes in silky, firm and extra firm. Store left overs in a container large enough to submerge the tofu in water.

Dashi is a stock which forms the basis of almost all Japanese cooking. Dashi is commonly made by heating bonito, dried fish flakes (katsuobushi), kelp (konbu), shiitake mushroom or iriko (sardine) to make a broth. Dashi comes in a convenient easy-to-mix powder.

Miso Soup:

About 3 cups water
1 heaping tbsp of Miso (white or red)
1/2 tsp of bonito soup stock powder [Hondashi] or kelp powder [Konbu Dashi] (about 2 shakes)
1 tbsp of dried seaweed [Wakame]
1 Green onion finely, chopped
1/8 pack of firm tofu, diced
2 Shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

Place water in a pan. Turn the heat to high and put in your choice of bonito powder or kelp powder as well as the dried seaweed in the pan. As the water is heating up, dice the tofu, chop up the green onion and scoop a spoonful of miso.

When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and place the pan on an empty burner (or set it aside where it’s not hot), and put your spoonful of miso into a ladle and gently mix the miso with hot water so it dissolves into the water without leaving a big chunk. After all the miso is nicely dissolved, place the pan back on the heat and the turn it low.

Put the tofu and green onion in the pan and let it heat for a couple more minutes, and serve. If you don’t like seaweed or tofu or green onion, you can replace with other things like daikon or fried tofu or a squash.