As you read in my previous article “Soups, my two secrets to make delicious soups”, the way you prepare your ingredients can change everything.

Your soups are already better, but you are missing the magic ingredient, the one that will make your taste buds explode with pleasure and make you want to eat soups every day.

I discovered this ingredient when, upon arriving in the USA, I started to eat at Japanese restaurants. When you order sushis you always get a miso soup. I was intrigued by this ingredient so I started looking into it. Today this typically Japanese ingredient is used in many non-Asian recipes such as miso glazed cod, to die for (the recipe is coming soon).

Add 2 tbsp of miso paste for each liter (or 4 cups) of soup at the start of cooking, dilute well. Be careful, miso paste is high in salt so use unsalted broths to avoid too much sodium.
If you forget to add the miso at the start of cooking, don’t panic, you can put it at the end of cooking (at least 10 min).

Miso is a fermented paste that’s made by inoculating a mixture of soybeans with a mold called koji that’s been cultivated from rice, barley, or soybeans. Over weeks (or even years!), the enzymes in the koji work together with the microorganisms in the environment to break down the structure of the beans and grains into amino acids, fatty acids, and simple sugars.

95% of the miso paste sold in the USA and Europe is made from rice koji.

There you go, now go on a miso paste hunt and transform your soups! This ingredient goes well with all types of hot soups: simple vegetables (carrot / ginger soup for example), mixed vegetables, veggies and meat, etc.

Don’t forget to post your recipe photos and to tagging us @valerieorsoni!

Valérie Orsoni
Your LeBootCamp Healthy Living & Weight Loss Coach