EZ Traditional Miso Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 5-inch strip wakame (sea vegetable)
• 1 large onion (about 1 cup)
• 4 Cups filtered water
• 2 Tablespoons miso (ideally, fermented for 6 months – 2 years)
• Garnish – chopped parsley, green onions, ginger or watercress

1. Soak the wakame in water for 10 minutes and slice in into 1.5 inch pieces.
2. Thinly slice onions
3. Put water, onions and wakame in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to simmer for 10 – 20 minutes, until tender.
5. Remove 1.5 cups of broth from the saucepan, place in a bowl.
6. Allow water in the bowl to cool a bit and add the miso, mixing it into the water (the water should not be boiling, because it can kill the live beneficial microflora and enzymes in miso. In general, the microflora in koji, the starter used to make miso, die at 105° F).
7. Turn off heat, allow the water to cool a bit.
8. Add the miso broth to the soup in the saucepan and add chopped parsley, green onions, ginger or watercress for garnish.

RECIPE NOTE: The above recipe is a vegetarian version. You can also add bonito flakes (dried fish) – check out these bonito flakes at Amazon or check with your local Asian market. Simmer one tablespoon of bonito flakes in the water for 10 minutes and strain. Then continue as above. When made with the dried fish as a quick stock your miso soup will be even more strengthening.