Miso soup recipes contain miso paste which is basically fermented soy bean paste.
The nutritional value of soy beans have been widely researched and many substances in these beans have been shown to help a wide range of diseases including stomach and prostate cancer, high cholesterol levels and menopause.
Soy protein is also most similar to meat protein, making it an ideal protein substitute for vegans.
However, soy beans do not cook well and many people have problems digesting and absorbing the nutrients. One way to overcome this is fermenting.
Fermenting breaks downs the harmful substances in the beans and makes the soy proteins more digestible.
Miso is an important food item in Japanese cuisine. Japanese chefs use it in soups, stews, marinates, seasonings and dips. I believe there are countless miso recipes but the most common is, of course, the miso soup.
Miso is very easy to use and find in the supermarkets. It is therefore quite common in home kitchens.
I love the small bowl of basic miso soup with its signature colour, small soft cubes of silken tofu and thin healthy strips of wakame seaweed. Not sure why it goes so well with Japanese short grain rice, it just do.
There are many types of miso pastes especially in different regions of Japan. There are white miso, red miso and brown miso. The darker the color, the more flavoursome the miso paste. Miso soups, I believe, is usually made with white miso where the flavour is lighter and more subtle.
Photo source: richardmasoner
The traditional base for miso soup is dashi stock.You can make it from scratch with kombu or kelp and bonito flakes. Click here to learn how to make dashi from scratch. Don't worry, it is easy.
You can also buy ready-made dashi packets or granules from major supermarkets. Follow the instructions on the packaging to make the stock. It is quicker and more convenient but may contain more salt and msg.
Miso is not just for miso soups. I used to substitute the soup packets in my instant or ramen noodle with miso paste instead. It gives a richer flavour and I am sure it has less monosodium glutamate. A pseudo miso ramen. (^_^)
3 tips to a good miso soup
Follow these 3 simple tips when making miso soup:
- The heat must be turned off immediately When the miso soup comes back to the boil after the miso paste has been added. The distinct flavour of the miso is cooked away if the miso is allowed to boil for too long
- Use miso paste with reduced salt to make miso soup with a stronger flavour rather than use more miso paste
- Use a combination of miso pastes to create a more complex miso soup
3 recipes
Try these miso soup recipes.
If you are thinking of buying some miso, you might like to take a look at Eden Genmai Miso, made with organic soybean & brown rice.
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