Healthy Miso Soup Vegan Recipe (Basics for Beginners) | Purple Avocado (2024)

FAQs

How to make miso soup without killing the probiotics? ›

Avoid high heat when cooking with it, as it will kill off the good bacteria. When making miso soup, turn off the heat and dissolve (using a muddler like this will help avoid clumps).

Dashi (出汁) is broth or soup stock that forms the backbone of many Japanese dishes, including miso soup. There are several different types of dashi, made either of dried kelp, shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes, or anchovies/sardines.

Soybeans, used to make miso paste, are also rich in protein and other important nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. Miso soup contains prebiotics and probiotics, which may contribute to improved gut health.

Not only is miso soup easier to make than oatmeal (seriously—at its most basic, all you have to do is stir miso paste into hot water), but it does double-duty as both morning beverage and breakfast.

1. May support gut health. The fermentation process involved in the production of miso promotes levels of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. These bacteria are thought to help a range of health issues, including digestion and gut health.

Boiling miso can harm the probiotic bacteria. At temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit these delicate bacteria are destroyed. We recommend adding miso paste to soups just prior to serving.

Most miso stock is dashi, a Japanese broth made from dried fish, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms. Japanese versions of vegan miso stock use dashi that only contains mushrooms and kelp. Miso stock in the United States may use vegetable, chicken, or Western-style fish stock instead of dashi.

Tamari/Coconut Aminos

Both are salty and contain plenty of the same free-forming amino acids (which create that umami flavor) found in miso. For an easy miso substitute, blend a few tablespoons of either tamari or coconut aminos with a can of cooked chickpeas.

Some miso soup is made with katsuobushi dashi, a stock containing katsuobushi, or bonito flakes. These non-vegan flakes are made of smoked skipjack tuna ( 3 , 4 ). Niboshi dashi is another type of miso soup that uses dried Japanese anchovies instead of tuna in its stock. As such, it's likewise not vegan ( 5 ).

In terms of health benefits, the darker and more strongly flavored miso varieties tend to be the most nutritious. Here are a few of the healthiest types of miso: Red Miso: Made with a higher percentage of soybeans and fermented for a longer period of time, red miso has a rich, complex flavor and a dark red-brown color.

Is it OK to eat miso everyday? ›

Miso soup is low calorie, low fat, and high in nutrient content, so it is safe to eat daily. However, it does have a high salt content. So, those on blood thinning medication or who have heart problems (including high blood pressure and heart disease) may want to limit their consumption of miso soup.

The benefits of miso soup

In the process of fermentation, probiotic bacteria are formed, and the fermentation itself makes it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients. The miso paste and the dashi (broth) are rich in several minerals such as calcium, iodine, magnesium and more. It can help you cleanse your system.

Miso contains amino acids that can help boost the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that helpsmake you sleepy. Bananas: An excellent source of magnesium and potassium, which can help relax overstressed muscles. They also contain tryptophan, which convert to serotonin and melatonin.

“Traditionally, rice miso is more expensive than barley miso, because the grain is more expensive,” explains Chung. Accordingly, wealthier merchants could afford to purchase more expensive miso made with rice, whereas farmers and townsfolk often ate miso made with millet, barley, or other common grains.

Hot sauce raises your body temperature at bedtime making it harder to fall asleep. But foods containing soy, such as edamame or miso soup, are rich in magnesium, a mineral that can relax muscles and make it easier to fall asleep.

Similar to other fermented foods, miso is jam-packed with probiotics, which are a type of beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive tract. (However, heating miso is likely to kill these probiotics, according to a 2018 research review .)

Miso instant soup is a great source of protein and healthy fats. It also contains probiotics that aid in digestion, may reduce cholesterol levels, increase bone density, lower your risk for heart disease and decrease inflammation throughout the body.

Rich in nutrients: Miso contains many healthy vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, manganese, zinc, protein and calcium. Many of these nutrients support essential structures like the bones and nervous system. Improves digestion: Because miso is high in probiotics, it helps the body maintain healthy bacteria levels.

Does Heat Kill Probiotics? Some fermented foods lose their probiotic organisms as a result of heat treatment. Canned sauerkraut and canned kimchi, two foods that contain probiotics when not canned, are put under heat as part of the canning process. Often, this heat deactivates the probiotics found in these foods.