Whenever a loved one suffers from an upset stomach or other sickness, my answer is usually miso soup. It is delicious, nourishing, and deeply healing due to the various probiotics and antioxidants. Miso is a paste made from fermented soy and rice (sometimes barley, chickpeas, or other grains are mixed in too) with a myriad of health benefits. It was all we ate this past weekend when my boyfriend and I (along with a half dozen other friends) came down with the flu!
The most simple version of miso soup is simply miso paste mixed into some hot water. This miso broth is great if you are feeling really unwell and/or don’t have an appetite. If your patient (or you yourself!) are able to keep solid food down, you can make the soup a bit more nourishing by making the following recipe. Change it up based on whatever greens or veggies you have at home, and be sure to save the kale stems for added nutrition in the soup. This is also great when you are NOT sick, perhaps just for a cozy night at home with a healthy family.
perfect healing food
healing miso soup
4-6 cups water
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup sliced green stems (from kale, choi sum, etc.)
1/4 cup miso, any variety
1 cups sliced greens (kale, spinach, etc.)
fresh lemon and toasted sesame oil for garnish
- Bring water to a boil. Add onions, carrots, and stems and bring to a low boil. Let simmer until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix miso with a few tablespoons water and stir until smooth.
- Reduce heat to low on soup, and stir in miso. Keep at a very low heat (do not boil) until ready to serve.
- Add greens just before serving; squeeze lemon and drop in some sesame oil for extra flavor. You can also add noodles, rice, or beans if you have your appetite back.
miso soup with mizuna greens
I love miso soup! A friend and I were just talking about fermented foods at lunch yesterday, and I was telling her that miso is fermented and magical. I’ll send this recipe her way!
I have been wanting to get some miso since FOREVER. My sister’s go-to lunch is miso soup, and her talking about it made me crave it. And we’ve got an Asian grocery store just down the street. There’s no excuse, really.
Really would like to try this recipe, so I’ll get there soon. =)
Being the boyfriend in question, I can attest to the awesomeness of miso soup for healing a stomach that for some reason was really mad at me. hahaha. But seriously, it’s tasty and super healthy, and vegan to boot. Win-win.
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