Seven-Vegetable Miso Soup
This brothy, colorful soup is a potent tonic that will cure what ails you. Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans, is an essential component of Japanese cuisine. As with yogurt and other fermented products, miso is most beneficial uncooked, so stir it into the soup only after turning off the heat. Wakame is a mild-tasting green sea vegetable most commonly used in the traditional miso soup that accompanies sushi. Burdock root (shown below) has a texture reminiscent of water chestnuts. It grows wild throughout the United States and can also be found in Japanese markets. After slicing burdock root, soak it in cold water to prevent it from turning brown. If burdock root isn’t available, simply use more of the other vegetables.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 as a starter, or 2 as a meal
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the burdock, sweet potato, ginger, scallions, and 5 cups water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat and add the soy sauce and a dash of salt. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the tofu and shiitakes and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes more.
Step 2
Place the miso in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of the hot broth. Use a fork to break up the miso and whisk it until smooth. Drain the wakame and add it to the saucepan. Add the egg if using and stir. Turn off the heat and stir the dissolved miso into the saucepan. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
Step 3
To serve, divide the cilantro leaves evenly among the bowls and ladle the hot soup on top.
