I am a purist when it comes to eating. I have eliminated processed foods from my life and have accomplished this by experimenting with various recipes and flavors. To my delight, it has been simpler than I thought to eat clean. But, like anyone, I also like my meals to taste great. This soup recipe is a Japanese classic. It is full of pure ingredients and simple to prepare.
Miso soup contains the lately controversial ingredient, soy. Recently some negative press has surfaced about soy. It is important to note though that the soy products that have been shown to be a potential health issue is adulterated soy. It is important that you stick to eating organic, non-GMO soy. This is “safe” soy. Steer clear of processed soy products and foods that are not organic including those that are contained in supplements.
Organic soy contains phytochemicals and is such a beneficial food. It has been proven to have a profound benefit to human health. Soy promotes healthy bones and heart health. It can relieve or eliminate menopausal symptoms and has been shown to prevent cancer.
Soy beans are rich in protein. They are the only vegetable source that contains all of the essential amino acids. Soy beans are chock full of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Enjoy soy in this easy recipe.
Ingredients:
2 – 4 tablespoons organic white miso paste (to taste)
2 – 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
a handful of well washed organic baby spinach
2 green onions, tops removed and thinly sliced
a small handful of chopped cilantro or dried cilantro to taste
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Method:
Boil 4 cups of water in a medium sauce pan. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat. In a separate small bowl, pour some of the hot water. Whisk it together with the miso paste to thin it out. This will keep the miso paste from becoming lumpy. When the miso paste is dissolved, stir the bowl of dissolved miso back into the larger pot. Taste it. Slowly add more miso by using the same method. A little bit at a time until the soup has the miso flavor you like. This process will become second nature after a couple of tries. You will get to know exactly how much miso to add each time you prepare this soup.
Miso paste comes in lots of different varieties. You may choose to vary the types of miso that you use. Some miso pastes are not as salty as others. Again, trial and error is important with this broth. If the miso you like is not salty, you can make it taste saltier by adding some sea salt, soy sauce or Bragg’s to your broth to taste.
Once the broth for this easy recipe is developed, add in the tofu, remove the soup from the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. Then add the baby spinach, cilantro and red pepper flakes and serve.
