Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I make a bowl of miso, add lots of fresh ginger and hope for the best. Recently, I was buying miso paste and the cashier asked me what I do with it. I realized that not enough people know how to make this nourishing, simple soup.
There are different sorts of miso. The darker ones have a stronger and more complex taste, these are usually used in winter months. Others, like the white miso I use in this recipe, are more mild and delicate. If you are new to miso you may prefer the lighter miso, and once you develop a taste for it, you'll enjoy exploring many different varieties.
Here is one of my favorite recipes.
White Miso with Murasake and Shiitake
serves 2
Ingredients:
- 4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- Miso paste -available at grocery stores in the refrigerated food section, probably by the tofu.
- 1 murasake sweet potato, use a regular sweet potato if you can't find murasaki
- 1 -2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 block tofu, cut into cubes
To do:
Scrub the sweet potato and chop into small pieces. You can leave the peel on, which I always do for extra vitamins.
Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown, set aside. Using the same pan, add the murasake and white parts of the scallions, sauté for about a minute then add the tofu and about 1 cup water, simmer for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
While the potato cooks, add 2 Tablespoons miso paste to a glass measuring cup. Pour 1 cup hot, but not boiling, water over the paste and stir to dissolve.
Spoon the potatoes and tofu into 2 bowls, add the fresh grated ginger and pour the miso over the mixture. You can add more hot water according to your taste. Top with shiitake mushrooms and green parts of the sliced scallions. Enjoy!
