Whenever I need a cleanse of sorts, I return to making this miso soup recipe for a restorative boost to my system. It’s light and earthy which helps ground me when life feels overwhelming and after the collective nightmare that was 2020, I think I might be slurping this all year to rid myself of damages. It’s time to balance the stress eating and holiday binging with cup (or bowl) of self-care. Miso packs a hearty punch of nutrition and now has never been better for a healthy reboot. The crisp cool air begs for a warm cup of something so why not load up on this soup and serve yourself some wellness.

The great thing about Miso Soup is the room for creativity. You can go straight broth or you can add garnishes of healthy treats like tofu, sliced mushrooms, radishes, julienned carrots, fresh chives, etc. It’s easy to personalize but just as rewarding when the broth is served as is. There’s no need for flair here. The Miso is in the broth and that’s the goody! Just make the Dashi, which is the Japanese stock base for Miso Soup, and keep it stored in your fridge for when you need a restorative lift When it’s time, just warm the Dashi and stir in the Miso paste with any additional fixings you want to add.

Ingredients:

Dashi

2 large pieces of kombu
2 cups bonito flakes
6 cups water

Miso Soup

2 tsp wakame (chop this up while still dry for smaller pieces)
1/4 cup white miso (you can use red but I prefer the white)
1/2 cup of firm tofu cut into small cubes
2 scallions, thinly sliced (garnish)
2 button mushrooms, thinly sliced (garnish)

Directions:

Dashi

Begin making the dashi, or stock, by soaking the kombu in the 6 cups of water for 30 minutes in a large pot.
After soaking, bring the Kombu up to boil and then immediatly remove the pot from heat.
Remove the kombu from the pot and discard.
Stir in the bonito flakes so they completely submerge.
Gently simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes like you would tea.
After steeping, strain the dashi through a fine mesh sieve. (Do not press on the bonito flakes.) Miso Soup
Return the dashi to the pot and add the tofu and wakame and heat to a gentle simmer.
Remove from heat and submerge a fine mesh sieve into the broth and stir in the miso paste. (Miso is rather granual and the sieve will help catch any larger bits as you stir it in.)
Taste the broth and make adjustments by adding more miso if necessary
Serve into bowls (or tea cups?) topping each with a sprinkle of scallions and a mushroom slices.

I encourage you to explore your version of Miso Soup often, especially after the holidays or any time the stresses of life become too much, and you need to restore a sense of calm. Think of it like a soup meditation where you sip your way to restorative health.

Notes for Feeding Seniors:

I would encourage both caregivers and seniors to make Miso Soup a dietary staple. The nutritional benefits alone hearten the health of all that partake and the customization of toppings can help you tailor the soup to your loved one’s needs. The broth alone makes for a lovey beverage on a cold day similar to the likes of bone broth or borscht. An afternoon ritual of miso soup could offer a moment of pause for both parties and possibly something to look forward to as the sundowning hours creep up. My mother, whom had Alzheimer’s, and I made an afternoon ritual of sipping Miso Soup before she passed. We would pretend it was afternoon tea which is why you see it served in a tea cup in the photo above. She was never one to like tea so getting her to participate was a challenge at first. With time she came around though and those afternoons were a spot of joy that I will forever remember.