Heart Nourishing Miso

Heart Nourishing Miso-

A simple recipe with endless possibilities!

This is a soup that calls to me all year long, and one that due to its very nature, never gets old. Moving with the seasons brings a sense of connection with our deep, timeless selves. It is way to recognize that which is always changing and that which is timeless and eternal. This understanding is at the heart of philosophies world-wide, and is fundamental on the journey of coming into greater and greater states of health and well-being. Move with the tide of nature, not against it or oblivious to it. Besides its fun!


Heart-Nourishing Miso

(Please note, beloved readers, that the ingredients that are italicized are the basic requirements for this delicious and healthful meal, everything else is free for experimentation. The only veggies that I would abstain from adding in are from the nightshade family- potato, tomato, eggplant.)

Ingredients- Serves 4 Big Bowls
• Live Unpasteurized Miso
• 10 cups of Filtered or Spring Water
• Thinly sliced organic veggies of choice and seasonality:
Sweet potato, carrot, diakon radish, black radish, cabbage, kale, collards, squash (especially the variety Delicata), spinach, ripe sweet peppers, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms or whatever vegetables in the fridge need to be used up. Always add one of the following for flavor, blood purification, and strengthening- 1 onion, 2 shallots, and/or 1 leek.
• Healing spices & herbs:
1 “thumb” of grated ginger (this is a must in this recipe), 1 “thumb” of fresh turmeric or teaspoon of powder (often this can be found in the health food store produce department), 2 “thumbs” burdock root or 2 tablespoons dried cut root, Fresh nettles, dandelion leaves &/or root, violet leaves, wild spinach, dried or fresh shitake mushrooms (the dried mushrooms have a really strong flavor, so re-hydrate them in warm water for a few moments, and then slice them up and add them to the soup, save the mushroom-water as a potential flavor enhancer for later.)
• Nama Shoyu (a live un-pasteurized tamari) or un-processed salt (Celtic, Himalayan, French are some of my favorites)
• Garnishes of Great Flavor Importance- Sliced green onions, lemon wedges, Toasted Sesame Oil, Nutritional Yeast, & Cayenne Pepper optional and so lovely Basil Leaves, Parsley, or Cilantro.
• Eggs, Brown Rice Vermicelli, or Kelp Noodles for a more hearty meal.
• Sea Vegetables of any kind from Dulse Flakes, Nori Flakes, Kombu (pre-soaked and sliced), and my favorite Arame (Pre-soaked again) Add these in at the end along with the garnishes.

The Creation Process-

• Add water to big pot turn on to simmer. Just like making an herbal decoction (or from the Chai recipe on my last blog entry), with this soup you want to have a low roiling boil. This will preserve the integrity of the medicinal attributes of all of the herbs and veggies, while creating a flavorful base. If making noodles also put a pot of water on high for them. Follow instructions on packet for best results.
• Prep Veggies- Thinly slice all veggies. Set aside thinly sliced green onions, basil, cilantro, and/or parsley for garnishes. Julienne dark leafy greens and cabbage. Grate ginger, turmeric, and burdock root.
• Add thinly sliced white or red onions and any of the harder veggies that will need more of cook time. (sweet potatoes, carrots, black radish, ect.) Cook on low until veggies are firm, yet cooked thoroughly…. usually 5 minutes.
• Add dark leafy greens, cabbage, ginger, and other herbs. If you want to add an egg or two at this point, gently crack the egg on the side of the pan and delicately add to soup to poach. Once it has slightly firmed in the pot I will gently cover with some of the broth or veggies so it cooks faster. This usually takes 3-5 minutes.
• Once all of the veggies are al dente and the egg is poached, remove from heat. Have four big bowls ready for use. With a ladle add one to two scoops broth to each bowl. Then add one heaping tablespoon of the miso paste to each bowl. With a fork mash the miso into the water until the paste dissolves into broth to form thick chunk-free goo.
• To the miso goo ladle more broth and all the extra goodies for this special batch of Heart Nourishing Miso. Garnish by topping with green onions, fresh herbs, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a slice of lemon or lime hugging the bowl rim for the diner to squeeze in.
• Enjoy!