Tomato & Kale Miso Soup

Those of you who follow my blog regularly probably know already that I've been under the weather the past few days (Sinus infections suck!).  I started the day out so-so but felt significantly better as the day went by. My throat was still sore so I decided to make a rather simple Miso Soup for dinner tonight. I've made it before (see Cremini Miso Soup) and this one is a slight variation on that recipe.  To be quite honest, every miso soup recipe is a slight variation of the last recipe you used. It's just that good :)

Tomato & Baby Kale Miso Soup

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 2 large Tomatoes, diced
2. 6 White Mushrooms, sliced thinly
3. 4 cups Baby Kale (~6 oz)
4. 6 cups Water or home-made vegetable broth
5. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
6. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
7. 1 tbsp White or Yellow Miso
8. Salt (probably won't need any), to taste
9. Black Pepper, freshly cracked, to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, bring tomatoes, broth, mushrooms and kale to a rolling boil. Add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Turn off heat and mix everything well together. Allow the soupy broth to cool for a couple of minutes and then add miso and stir in really well to dissolve. Let sit for another minute or so and then mix in again to dissolve miso. Taste test for salt (with the miso and soy sauce you probably won't need to add any). Garnish with lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy with freshly baked bread or crackers. 

Miso Soup

My Assessment: Perfect brothy peppery soup for a sore throat! Did you know that Miso is a nutritional powerhouse? During the aging process, basic nutrients in soybeans (or barley, or brown rice) are broken down into their simpler forms. It is packed with amino acids and vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and protein. It includes all the essential amino acids and is often considered a source of complete protein. Miso also facilitates the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium. Along with miso, the tomatoes gave it an extra tartness which worked well with the baby kale! And Tony, who swears that he hates kale, lapped up his large serving :) with gusto!!! (wink! I didn't tell him he was consuming kale!)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 107 (Fat Calories 8)
Total Fat 0.9 g; Carbohydrates 20.0 g; Fiber 4.3 g; Sugars 7.0 g; Protein 7.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.