Spring Miso Soup
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from a broth into which softened miso, a fermented soybean paste, is stirred. Other ingredients can be added according to regional and seasonal recipes and personal taste, including a variety of vegetables, tofu, seaweed, and more. In Japanese food culture, miso soup is a common part of the daily menu.
Miso contains probiotics that support the natural balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, aid digestion, and strengthen immunity.
According to Japanese custom, ingredients are chosen with the seasons, giving the soup different colors, textures, and flavors. Spring onions and tofu are often combined, pairing an ingredient with a strong flavor with one that is mild. Floating ingredients, such as wakame seaweed, are also paired with ingredients that sink, such as potatoes. Other additions may include mushrooms, potatoes, seaweed, leafy greens, onions, green beans, shrimp, fish, shellfish, and sliced daikon. Adapted from…
Spring miso soup
Traditional miso soup contains only a few ingredients, and I wanted to preserve that simplicity. Following the Japanese tradition, I also adapted the soup to the season and the ingredients available to me. In March, I picked spring onions and Swiss chard from the garden on the island of Bisevo. Because I did not have vegetable stock ready, I added a piece of celery and removed it before serving. I prefer to stir in the miso paste after cooking so that the bacteria produced through fermentation remain alive. Miso can be added to almost any vegetable soup, so I make it often. Miso soup cooks quickly and is very healthy, which is why we love it.
Miso soup is always comforting. It awakens the appetite, nourishes the cells, supports immunity and the gut flora, and disappears quickly from the bowl.
INGREDIENTS
– one spring onion
– a small piece of celery or parsley root
– a piece of tofu
– a few Swiss chard leaves
– a small piece of ginger
– olive oil
– one tablespoon of miso paste
serves two
PREPARATION
Briefly saute the chopped spring onion in hot olive oil.
Add about three cups of water, a little salt, the whole piece of celery, and the ginger. Cook for 10 minutes. Once the celery has softened, remove it together with the ginger. Add the Swiss chard cut into thin strips and the tofu cubes. Cook for another five minutes, then turn off the heat. Transfer a few tablespoons of soup to a small bowl, stir in the miso until dissolved, and return it to the pot. Mix well and serve hot. Garnish with a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds if desired.
