Delicious Miso Soup Offers Unparalled Nutrition

November 3, 2003 on 3:16 pm | In Health & Fitness | No Comments

Why does a cycling website have an article about miso soup? Really, Miso’s brothy goodness and solubility go hand in hand with cold weather athletics.-bw

If you want a winter soup that is inexpensive, easy to make, fantastic and incredibly good for you, AND its nearly meatless. (miso w/o the fish flakes ain’t miso. no way around it)  – try miso soup.  I have listed the ingredients and health information about each, as well as where to go to get some of the more unusual items.

You will need:
Miso paste
Wakame
Kombu
Bonito Flakes
Scallions or green onions
Mung bean sprouts
Firm tofu
Sesame seeds
Red Chiles (flakes, chopped, or sauce)
Cilantro
Udon or Soba noodles (Japanese wheat noodles)

Daishi stock:
1. Wipe 6×6 in piece of kombu with a cloth, but do not rinse.  Place it in a pan and add 3.5 cups water, gradually bring to boil over medium heat.  Remove kombu just when water starts to bubble, then bring water back to a boil.
2. Add 3 T bonito flakes, bring to boil again, then remove pan from heat.  Let stand for about 1 minute, or until the flakes sink to the bottom of the pan, then strain the stock through a cheesecloth lined strainer into a clean pan (I use a coffee filter – any fabric will do).  This is Daishi.

Soup:
3. Soak 2 teaspoons wakame in cold water.  Heat Daishi stock and stir in 3 T miso until completely dissolved (I like the white miso best).  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Rinse 3.5 ounces firm tofu (bean curd) and pat dry.  Cut into cubes and simmer gently in soup for 4-5 minutes.  Rinse and chop 2 scallions (I use green onions) and add to soup.
5. Noodles (I don’t like noodles in my soup – but you can add them) – cook 7 ounces soba or udon (Japanese wheat noodles) according to package instructions, drain and rinse in cold water.
6. Place 1 ¾ cup bean sprouts in strainer and pour hot water over to blanch.  Heat 1 T oil and stir fry the sprouts, then add red chile to taste and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (I like a LOT more).
7. Divide the noodles, bean sprouts, wakame among four small bowls, pour hot soup over them and garnish with cilantro. -enjoy and breathe

Great Background Info on Miso:
Miso Paste: The written word, miso, first appeared around 800 AD. According to the Indiana Soybean Board (1997) “Miso is a rich, salty condiment that characterizes the essence of Japanese cooking. The Japanese begin their day with a fortifying bowl of miso soup and use miso to flavor a variety of foods in other meals throughout the day. Making miso is a household art in Asian countries, comparable to the American practice of canning foods. To make miso, soybeans and sometimes a grain such as rice, are combined with salt and a mold culture, and then aged in cedar vats for one to three years.”

“Miso is available in natural food groceries and in Asian markets. Store miso in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several months. The white mold that sometimes forms on miso is harmless. It can be scraped off or mixed into the miso.”

Two tablespoons of miso provide:
Calories 71
Protein (gm) 4.00
Fat (gm) 2.00
Carbohydrate (gm)
9.00
Calcium (mg) 23.00
Iron (mg) 1.00
Zinc (mg) 1.25

(Source: Composition of Foods: Legume and Legume Products. United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service, Agriculture Handbook, Number 8-16. Revised December 1986)

South River Miso (2002) goes on to say, “unpasteurized miso is a “living food” containing natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus, and other microorganisms which aid in the digestion of all foods, and which have been shown to ward off and destroy harmful microorganisms, thereby creating a healthy digestive  ystem.”

In traditional Japan, miso gained a special place in the minds and hearts of generations who came to rely on miso soup as an essential part of their daily life. In Physical Constitution and Food, Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director of St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, writes:
“I have found that, with very few exceptions, families, which make a practice of serving miso soup daily, are almost never sick…. I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage…Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat….
-The Book of Miso, page 25.”

Miso contains high amounts of Isoflavones (phytochemicals), which have been shown by recent research to be amazing antioxidants with immune boosting and cancer preventing
properties (Soyfoods Association of America, info@soyfoods.org).

Wakame: A seaweed that becomes slimy when soaked in water; but it’s the slime that’s so good for you!  Www.organichealthy.com (2002) tells us that alginic acid and fukodein, ingredients of slimy polysaccharide, decrease blood pressure, block stomach ulcers by preventing the growth of H. pylori (the bacteria that causes ulcers), and reduces bad cholesterol.

Kombu: Kombu is a type of brown seaweed that is widely regarded to have many health benefits. It is considered the most highly-mineralized food and increases the nutritional value and digestiblity of foods it is eaten with. According to Dr. Henry Han, OMD, kombu is “The strongest seaweed medicinally. Balances the absorbtion of minerals, detoxifies, protects against degenerative diseases, aids in weight reductions, aids in recovery from radiation. Softens and shrinks nodules, masses, or other abnormal growths.”  (http://www.blissbody.citymax.com/page/page/398358.htm).

Bonito flakes: Bonito is a type of tuna, which is a member of the mackerel family, and one of the most important fish in Japanese cuisine. Rarely eaten fresh, the dark, oily meat is dried into very hard cubes, which must be ground or shaved with a special tool before use. Bonito shavings form the base for many Japanese sauces and stocks (such as dashi, made with bonito and seaweed). It can be bought in flakes, also known as katsuobushi, which have a strong, salty flavor and a tan color. The flakes are frequently sprinkled over boiled or steamed vegetables and into soups. These items can all be found at any local Asian market.

-Kristi Sanborn