Make yourself a batch of pea miso soup – your immune system will thank you

Miso is a traditional Japanese superfood that offers many health benefits, such as improving your digestive health and strengthening your immunity.

To boost your immune system, follow the recipe below and make a batch of comforting pea miso soup.

Miso: An immune-boosting superfood

Miso is a thick paste made from soybeans fermented with salt and a koji starter. This starter usually contains the Aspergillus oryzae fungus.

Traditionally made from soybeans, some varieties use other types of beans or peas.

You can use miso paste to make sauces and soup stock. Miso can also be used for pickling vegetables and meat.

Miso’s flavor is a balance of salty and umami (savory). Depending on the variety, miso is available as a brown, red, white or yellow paste.

Miso contains vitamins and minerals like copper, manganese, sodium, vitamin K and zinc. Miso also contains trace amounts of B vitamins, calcium, choline, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and selenium.

Take note that miso is rather salty. If you’re monitoring your salt intake, consult your physician before incorporating it into your diet.

Studies have found that miso contains nutrients that can help your immune system function optimally. The superfood contains probiotics that can strengthen your gut flora, which then boosts immunity and minimizes the growth of bad bacteria.

Following a diet full of probiotics may reduce your risk of being sick and help you recover faster from the common cold and other infections. (Related: Feeling the first signs of a flu? Load up on probiotics.)

Pea miso soup recipe

This pea miso soup recipe is from the book “Midnight Chicken” by Ella Risbridger. It combines the sweetness of spring onions and peas with a hint of spice from ginger and savory miso.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g of frozen peas
• 650 mL of boiling water
• 5 spring onions
• 5 to 25 g of ginger (use less or more ginger if you want)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 lime
• Bunch of coriander
• 2 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• Splash of olive oil

Preparation: 

1. Set up your blender or food processor.
2. Rinse the coriander and remove brown leaves, then chop it roughly with a pair of scissors straight into the blender. Set aside a small handful of coriander for garnishing the soup later.
3. Chop the spring onions with kitchen scissors right into the blender. Save a handful of the spring onions for later.
4. Peel the ginger with the blunt side of the scissors and rub it vigorously to remove the skin easily.
5. Roughly chop the ginger and put it in the blender, together with the garlic cloves, which should be peeled, but not chopped.
6. Blitz the ingredients and add a splash of olive oil through the hole in the top to help things along.
7. Slowly squeeze in the juice of the lime into the mixture. Stop the blender to taste the mixture as you add the lime juice.
8. Grind the white and Szechuan peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Set aside a pinch of the peppercorns for later, then add the rest into the blender.
9. Don’t add salt; the miso is already salty enough. Blitz the ingredients on high for two to three minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed. A finer paste will produce a smoother soup.
10. Scrape out the paste into a saucepan that’s set on low heat and stir gently.
11. Put the kettle on. When the water comes to a boil, pour 650 mL of water directly into the saucepan. Add the miso and stir, then simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep stirring so the soup doesn’t stick.
12. Turn the heat back up until the soup comes to a rolling boil. Add the peas and simmer for several minutes. Don’t overcook the peas.
13. Take the soup off the heat. You can either tip it back into the blender and blitz again, or use a hand blender in the pan until you have a smooth soup.
14. Ladle the pea miso soup into bowls and garnish with the coriander, pepper and spring onions that you set aside earlier.

Serve pea miso soup for a tasty, immune-boosting dish. Check out more nutritious recipes at GroceryCures.com.

Sources include:

MindBodyGreen.com

Healthline.com