Miso Ginger Winter Soup (Printer-Friendly)

Warming Japanese-style soup with ginger, miso, and vegetables for a nourishing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth

01 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
02 - 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach or bok choy, roughly chopped
07 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
08 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Garnish

09 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
10 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, optional
11 - 1 teaspoon chili oil or pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring the vegetable broth to a gentle simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced ginger and garlic, and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatics.
02 - Add the sliced mushrooms and carrot to the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
03 - Remove a ladleful of hot broth and whisk with the miso paste in a small bowl until completely smooth and incorporated.
04 - Reduce the soup heat to low. Stir the miso mixture back into the pot, stirring gently. Do not boil after adding miso to preserve its probiotic benefits.
05 - Add the spinach or bok choy and green onions to the pot. Stir until wilted, approximately 1 minute.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional miso or a splash of soy sauce if desired. Ladle into bowls and top with toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and chili oil or red pepper flakes if using.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes but tastes like you've been tending it all day.
  • The miso keeps your gut happy while the ginger settles everything that feels unsettled.
  • It's the kind of soup that feels like self-care without requiring any real effort.
02 -
  • Never boil miso after adding it to the broth, as the heat destroys the living probiotics that make this soup genuinely nourishing.
  • Tempering the miso in a small bowl of hot broth first prevents it from clumping when it meets the larger pot.
  • Taste as you go because miso is salty and personal preference for depth varies from person to person.
03 -
  • Keep your miso paste in the refrigerator after opening so it maintains its probiotic cultures and doesn't dry out.
  • If you find the miso too salty, you can always adjust by adding more broth rather than more miso.
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes just before serving to unlock their nutty flavor.
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