Miso is a fermented soybean paste made from soybeans, grains (steamed rice or barley), salt, and the fermentation starter. There are many different brands and varieties of miso paste in the market, with different flavours that you can even combine, and they are all good sources of probiotics! The good bacteria for your gut flora!
Homemade Dashi
The traditional Japanese miso soup stock is the famous Dashi, made from
seaweed and dried bonito flakes. You can make it following the instructions below, or you can simply use vegetable broth.
Ingredients:
4 cups of water 1 cup dried bonito flakes (omit for a vegan version) 10 gr kombu (dried kelp)
Instructions:
1. Clean the kombu with a towel, but don’t wash it or remove the white substance on it; that’s called umami.
2. Then, soak it in water for 30 minutes or overnight.
3. When it’s ready, put together the kombu and the water in a pan and slowly boil them on low heat.
4. Remove the kombu before it starts boiling; otherwise, it becomes slimy.
5. Add the dried bonito flakes. And simmer for around 60 seconds, turn off the heat, and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Avoid this step if you want a vegan version.
6. The last step is to strain it, getting only the stock from it, and that’s it! Ready to use, store for 4-5 days, or freeze!
Healthy Japanese Miso Soup
Recommendations:
1. The important thing to remember is not to cook miso paste at high temperatures because the probiotics are living bacteria and do not resist high temperatures.
2. You can use miso paste for making soups, sauces, and vinaigrettes. And if you love it so much that you could eat it straight from the pot, just be aware that it is very concentrated in salt, and too much could make you go to the toilet too often!
3. The general rule is to add 1 tablespoon (20g) of miso per one miso soup bowl (200ml dashi).
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: 4 cups vegetable broth 10 g dried seaweed (1 sheet nori cut in slices or wakame) 3-4 tbsp miso paste 1/2 cup chopped green chard 1/4 cup chopped green onion 1/4 cup firm tofu (cut in cubes)
Additional ingredients:
Cooking time 5-7 min: spinach, okra, mushrooms (enoki, maitake, etc.), egg, and cabbage.
Instructions
1. Place the vegetable broth or homemade dashi in a pan and bring to a low simmer.
2. Then add the seaweed and simmer for 7-10minutes.
3. On another side, place miso into a small bowl, add a little hot water, and whisk until totally smooth.
4. Add the tofu to the pan and any other ingredients, and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Right before the end, add the green onions and then remove them from the heat.
6. As the last step, add the miso mixture, combine it all, and serve!