Growing up, I was spoiled with a mother who was a wonderful cook. My childhood was one with few “bologna sandwich” kind of nights because mom could always be counted on to whip up a yummy casserole or meatloaf for the family. But there wasn’t a lot of experimentation in the Koch kitchen. Now that I’m adult, I have fun branching out when it comes to cuisine and exploring aisles of the grocery store that might have made me grimace as a kid (my idea of Chinese food back then was La Choy chop suey with those crunchy canned chow mein noodles on top — ha!).
A while back, my amazing yoga instructor passed off her recipe for miso soup and I knew I wanted to give it a try. And wow… pretty much THE easiest concotion I’ve ever thrown together. Three-fourths cup boiling water, a tablespoon of miso (I bought mine at Meijer but I’d like to branch out and try some from a Japanese market in Indy or online), a handful of scallions and a few chunks of tofu and voila!
For the skeptics: No, it’s not yucky. It tastes a lot like a yummy broth, the kind that would sound good to you on a day you just want to curl up on the couch. No, the tofu isn’t gross either. If you’ve ever experimented with tofu, you know the great thing is that it takes on whatever the dominant taste of your dish is. So in this case, the broth.
For those willing to give it a try: This is a GREAT quick pick-me-up kind of meal (it’s been my lunch for the past week and seriously takes me 5 minutes to make) and it’s LOADED with nutrients. In Japan, about 40 percent of the population eats miso soup for breakfast every morning and those Japanese know a thing or two in the health department. Studies show women who eat soy (which miso is a derivative of) once a week cut their breast cancer risk up to 50 percent. WOW!
And the true culinary test? Nick ate it. So if my husband likes it, well, Internet, that’s saying something.
3 Comments
Awesome! Can’t wait to make this. Thanks for the heads up!!!
i love, love, LOVE miso soup! nothing out there like it…glad to hear we share the same, mutual appreciation.
you GOTTA branch off and get some Red Miso soup…it’s extra fermented and extra yum! You can get some at Whole Foods or an authentic Japanese restaurant if you can find one! And ONLY eat fermented SOY b/c if it’s not it’s toxic and is loaded with phytoestrogens which can actually cause cancer…i won’t let Jessica eat it
You can get a ton of info and read exerpts from a great book, The Whole Soy Story here: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html