Veggie-loaded Miso Soup

Fall is here! The weather has turned brisk, my feet no longer see the light of day as they’re now blanketed in warm fuzzy socks, I have a perma-grip on my favorite “moisturizing” chapstick, and I’ve already caught a cold. Dang, that was fast! This all means one thing…bring on the soup!

This past week I caught a horrible, no good, very bad cold and all I could think of was a hot steamy bowl of miso soup. I craved that nutrient-rich, soothing umami/mushroom-y flavor. I wanted it so bad that I begged my husband to make it – and he’s not one to cook, so I stood in the kitchen, leaning on the counter holding myself up, and directed him on what to do…Now stir in the miso paste, get a few leaves of Chinese cabbage and shred it, no do it like this…You’re sick, you’re not supposed to touch the food!…Ok, Ok, sheesh! {You know how it goes}

Since I was under the weather, I wanted to load the soup up with veggies; give my system a one-two veggie punch! I used the vegetables I had on hand: Chinese cabbage, carrots, and red onion. I also added tofu and ginger and then cilantro to finish for a fresh lively herbiness. It was just what I wanted/needed…soothing, calming, and rejuvenating. It’s also lightening-speed fast to make (15 minutes!) and super-duper easy; just what you need when you’re not feeling top notch. In fact, it was so nice I made it twice! Well, I made it the second time rather…when hubby wasn’t here to tell me not to. {shhhh, don’t tell}

The perfect pick-me-up soup. So quick and easy!

Veggie-loaded Miso Soup

Servings: 4 - 6
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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8 cups water
1/2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced (or grated)
8 Tablespoons miso paste
3 cups shredded Chinese or napa cabbage or bok choy
2 cups shredded carrots
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (or 3 green onions chopped)
1/2 block of tofu (9 oz.), diced
1/2 Tablespoon agave nectar (optional)
chopped cilantro for topping

In a large pot, bring water to a boil then add the ginger and reduce heat to medium low. Stir in the miso paste until dissolved and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots, onions and tofu and cook additional 3 – 5 minutes. Taste and add agave nectar if desired. Ladle into bowls (avoiding the slices of ginger) and sprinkle cilantro on top. Enjoy!