Basic Miso Soup Recipe
Photo courtesy of Sophie Gibbin
Simple dashi base: Make a broth by adding to a pot of water a handful of immune-boosting shiitake mushrooms, a small piece of mineral-rich kombu seaweed and a few sprigs of fresh thyme; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Vegetables: Strain and return broth to the pot. Add prepared vegetables of your choice, in a range of colors (longer-cooking ones first, leafy greens and cooked grains last); cover and simmer until tender.
Miso: Place into a bowl a cup of the broth. Add a large spoonful of miso and stir to dissolve. Return to the pot and add freshly grated ginger. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Miso Soup through the Seasons
*photo by Heather Gill
The following is a chart of seasonal adaptations for our beloved miso soup, along with a basic recipe so that you can get started on aligning yourself with summer, and having the inner resources to transition into the fall in full health.
• Spring: we cleanse by adding tender greens, lemon zest, seaweed, ginger, asparagus, peas, scallions, watercress, nettles, and using the aduki miso that clears stagnation and dampness.
• Summer: we cool down by adding chard, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower, corn, seaweed, Job’s tears (a grain), and a mellow white miso.
• Late summer: we harmonize our stomach/spleen system with the sweet taste of pumpkin, squash, onion and fennel, using sweet white, chickpea or millet miso.
• Fall: we strengthen our immune system with a ragout of fall harvest vegetables, daikon, mushrooms, astragalus, and use a red miso (aged two years).
• Winter: we seek deep nourishment from kidney-supportive black beans, root vegetables, black mushrooms, black sesame, nori, soba noodles, making our soup thicker, stew-like, and using more fully-aged barley or hatcho miso.