Miso Soup
one of the most simple, easy foods yet it’s often overlooked
You can buy miso soup in one-cup portion sachets …did you know each sachet is only 25 calories!
The low calories is not the only reason it’s so good for winter.
As a soup, it’s warm and nourishing.
There are lot of varieties, some made form barley (mugi), soybean(hatcho) and rice(kome), but miso, no matter what it’s made from is a fermented food.
Some Miso pastes are fermented up to 2 years before it’s used as a food. The darker and longer fermented are better for colder climates, however winter in Australia dosen’t really get that cold so any miso will still be good in our winter.
As a fermented food, miso brings the same probiotic benefits that are shared with other fermented foods like yoghurt, sauerkraut and kombucha.
I like to keep a few miso soup packets in my work bag…just in case you are out and forgot 
your lunch, if you have a cup and hot water you can make a nourishing soup. Miso is great way to balance cooked and raw too. For people who love raw foods, rather than eating a bowl of raw salad for lunch, if you add some miso soup with the meal, the cooked and warm miso will help you digest the raw foods.
You can add some fresh coriander or spring onion to your miso soup, pieces of tofu to make it more hearty.
Another use for miso, especially for vegetarians and vegans is to use as a stock base in your cooking. You can add miso paste to dips, vegetable casseroles and other foods for added flavour. If you are vegetarian or vegan be careful not to overuse miso if you put it in every food then it may be too much salty fermented foods.
You can still join us in 30 Days of Winter…
NOTICE: this information is provided in public interest of keeping people healthy as possible. Common sense should always be applied. Too much of anything can be hazardous to health. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis by a health practitioner. If you have a health condition, you should check with your health care practitioner before using foods as medicine treatments, if you are in any way unsure about the suitability of the food agents, herbs or recipies for your body. In an medical emergency always contact emergency services, call 000 in Australia.
This article is written by Marie Hopkinson, the Chinese Herbalist & Acupuncturist at Metro Health and Medicine in North Perth. Marie is available for consultation by calling 1300 132 830 or email [email protected]