Miso soup is a traditional soup from Japan. It is made from a stock called dashi, which is made of niboshi (dried baby sardines), kombu (kelp), katsuobushi (thin shavings of dried bonito, or tuna) or hoshi-shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms).
Miso paste is dissolved into this stock. Depending on which part of Japan a person is from, they may prefer red miso (akamiso), white miso (shiromiso) or black miso (kuromiso). Miso paste is made from soybeans, rice or barley that has been fermented.
Solid ingredients are added in small amounts. These ingredients should complement each other. For example, if you have tofu, which is heavy and delicately flavored, the other ingredient should be strongly flavored and float. As long as the ingredients balance each other like this, you can use almost anything from potatoes, carrots or shrimp to seaweed or scallions. Miso soup is usually made with a minimum of ingredients.
In Japan, miso soup is often eaten at breakfast. It is highly nutritious, and quickly made. Instant miso is now available for people to use at work or school. All they need to do is add hot water. Miso soup can be eaten by itself or with rice. In Japan if it is served with a meal, it is often eaten at the end of a meal.
Studies have shown the health benefits of miso soup. Breast cancer is one casualty that falls by the wayside through regular consumption of miso soup. Other studies suggest miso can help regulate estrogen in women.
Miso soup is heavy in antioxidants and good fatty acids, as well as vitamin E. Along with protein and several minerals, this helps strengthen the immune system. If you choose to add wakame seaweed to your soup, it has a myriad of nutrients all its own that help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. One word of caution: if you are on blood thinners, take miso sparingly unless you plan to eat it every day so you can adjust your medications to accommodate it. Miso is high in vitamin K, which helps blood to clot.
Making miso soup is easy. Simmer your stock, and cook any added vegetables in the stock. Melt about a tablespoon and a half of miso paste in a small amount of the stock, then add it to the pot. Do not boil the miso. Drop in the seaweed (reconstituted) or sliced scallions, and serve. The traditional way to eat miso is to use chopsticks for the solid items, and to sip the broth directly from the bowl.