Marvelous Miso Soup

The only thing I used to associate miso paste with was the delicious soup that is served to you every time you order sushi. I never understood how it was made, what it was, and I definitely had no idea what a powerful, health-supportive food it was.

Miso is a fermented soy bean paste made by mixing soy beans with a fermented starter (koji) and salt water and is then fermented for a log period of time. The enzymes in the koji and the bacteria in the mixture as it ferments help break down the soy beans into more of a soft paste. The fermented nature of miso means that it is both delicious and nutritious and is a very valuable fermented food in my “nutrition tool belt”. Miso has such an interesting flavour - it is soft, salty, bold and has a strong umami flavour to it. This makes it so much fun to use in salad dressings, to season salmon, and obviously I love to use it in soups!

This miso soup is so simple and soul-soothing you will be dreaming about the next time you can enjoy it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken breast, baked and pulled apart (or tofu if you wish to make this plant-based)

  • ½ pack Thai Kitchen rice noodles

  • 1 tbsp. butter or coconut oil

  • 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

  • 1 cup thinly sliced cremini mushrooms

  • 4-5 stalks of bok choy

  • 1 white onion

  • Green onion

  • 2 tsp white miso paste

  • ½ tsp red chilli flakes

Directions:

  • Prepare your protein in advance (i.e. cook & pull your chicken or cut your tofu into half-inch uniform cubes) and set aside.

  • Wash and thinly slice your mushrooms, wash and roughly chop your bok choy, thinly slice your white onion (or dice depending on which you prefer), and chop your green onion.

  • Set all ingredients aside and bring a large pot to medium heat.

  • Gently sauté your mushrooms and white onion with 1 tbsp of butter or coconut oil

  • In a separate small bowl, mix your miso paste with 1 cup of boiled water and mix until well combined (there should not be any chunks of miso).

  • Add your miso mixture to the pot and at the same time also add your broth & bring to a simmer.

  • Add in your rice noodles and let cook for about 3-5 minutes until tender.

  • Mix in your protein, bok choy, and your spices (chilli flakes, salt, pepper) and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

  • When ready to serve, garnish with some fresh green onion and enjoy!

 
 
Jess