Miso Soup

Miso shiru, or miso soup, is a staple of Japanese cuisine.  The soup is touted for its health benefits, much the same way chicken soup or matzoh ball soup is here in the West.  The health benefits come from the active cultures contained in the miso – which is why you should look for unpasteurized miso, and avoid allowing the miso to boil.

Miso soup can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and usually is served with seasonal vegetables and cubed tofu.  Traditionally, miso soup is made from hatcho miso, a dark miso, and a fish stock, called dashi.  But because the dashi is time-consuming to make, and its taste subtle, it can easily be left out.

This is my version of

Miso Soup

WHAT TO GRAB:
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons miso
1/4 pound tofu, cut into cubes
4 carrots, shaved
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions, chopped

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Heat the oil in a medium saute pan, over medium heat.  Add the onions and tofu, and saute until the onions are translucent.

2.  Reduce to low heat, and add the carrots, miso, and vegetable broth.  Heat until the miso is smooth, but do not let the miso boil.

3.  Add the scallions and serve.

HOW MUCH YOU GET:
This recipe serves two.