Interest in the original cuisine of Japan, familiar to everyone from sushi and rolls, which have long become gastronomic preferences of Russians, has recently been increasing at an incredible speed. There is a tendency among fans to learn their history and cooking technology when visiting restaurants that serve exotic dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun. Questions are often asked about what miso soup is and how to prepare it correctly? They are looking for similar information on relevant culinary resources. This national dish of the East, consumed daily in Japan, has earned enormous popularity throughout the world for its lightness and unforgettable taste.
What is Miso soup?
Misoshiru, as this traditional dish is called, is one of the main dishes of Japan. It can be found every day on the table of any Japanese family, regardless of its social status. Moreover, they eat it not only at lunchtime, as is customary in European countries, but also in the evening, or even for breakfast.
The custom of preparing this dish every day is rooted in religious traditions that developed among the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun back in ancient times. For many centuries, misoshiru, consumed by the Japanese every day, brings them longevity due to the presence of useful substances:
- miso paste, which is the basis of the exotic soup, is enriched with lactic acid bacteria and beneficial enzymes formed during its fermentation. It also contains almost all the microelements and vitamins of groups K, E, B2 necessary for the life of the body;
- this soup contains large quantities of lactobacilli, thanks to which the body absorbs the nutrients it receives from food much faster;
- this dish is rich in linoleic acid, which makes the process of skin rejuvenation more effective, polyunsaturated fats vital for the body, valuable protein and dietary fiber, which helps to delicately cleanse the digestive organs of toxins;
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has a beneficial effect on blood circulation;
- seafood included in the soup ensures that the body receives the daily norm of substances that reduce the content of bad cholesterol in the blood, effectively increasing the elasticity of the vascular walls, preventing the risk of blood clots.
Experts have proven that regular consumption of miso soup, even in small quantities, helps strengthen the body's resistance to colds and infectious diseases. Also, doctors and nutritionists note that in people whose menu includes this dish, the risk of developing malignant neoplasms in the prostate, mammary gland, lungs and digestive organs is significantly reduced.
Basic composition of the soup
The Japanese miso soup recipe is attractive to gourmets for its versatile composition, which has enormous health benefits. Thanks to its healing properties, this dish has earned the reputation of a healer, about which there is a wonderful saying in the land of the rising sun: “One cup of miso soup a day is enough, and the doctor will never have to come near your door.”
The uniqueness of the food lies in the fact that it contains low-calorie foods that are easily digestible and bring great benefits to the body. That is why this national dish, which is valued by healthy eating enthusiasts around the world, has an unsurpassed taste. Its peculiarity is that you can change the ingredients depending on the culinary imagination and taste preferences of a person.
Also, based on the classic soup recipe, you can very easily create your own varieties of misoshiru; you just need to add some vegetable component, for example, potatoes, to the composition of the prepared dish. But the base of miso soup is always the same - it is a paste of the same name, made from fermented soybeans with the addition of salt and malt. This product must be aged for several months until fully cooked, during which it acquires a pleasant aroma and unique taste.
In addition to paste, which is the basis of miso soup, its classic composition must include the following products:
- hondashi (dashi) broth made from fish;
- tofu curd made from soy;
- wakame (Undaria pinnate), the most delicious sea kelp that grows in the Pacific Ocean;
- sesame (seeds);
- soy sauce.
Components that are beneficial to human health, such as greens, soy, mushrooms, seaweed and fish, used in the recipe, are the main ones. Without them, cooking misosiru is impossible. But rice, eggs, vegetables, shrimp, and even chicken can get along well with them.
Do not forget about the golden rule of miso soup - all products added to it must be harmoniously combined with each other.
How can you replace ingredients?
The preparation time will take minimal time - no more than 20 minutes, so it will be a real salvation for working women. Thanks to miso soup with chicken and noodles, you can feed your family a complete dinner, despite your busy schedule.
Miso soup with spinach and pork
Experienced chefs advise preparing the national soup of Japan using this interesting, but not entirely specific to the land of the rising sun recipe. Unlike the classic variety of misosiru, this dish is much richer in taste and more satisfying due to the fact that it contains fatty pork meat and enoki mushrooms (winter honey mushrooms). The recipe for Japanese miso soup with pork is quite widespread in Russia and is very popular among lovers of exotic cuisine.
The process of its preparation is as follows:
- pork meat (those who like fattier dishes can use boneless brisket, and for those who like lean meat products, ham is suitable) is cut into thin slices and fried in a small saucepan with sesame oil;
- Spinach, separated from the stems and well washed, is boiled for a minute in a liter of water brought to a boil, then quickly cooled in cold water and cut into small pieces.
Fried pork and boiled spinach are placed in the heated dashi broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce and miso paste diluted in water are added. The fire is turned off, and the finished soup is poured into portioned plates, sprinkled with herbs and served to the table.
Miso soup with snapper
Questions are often asked about how to make miso soup with snapper. This light, but at the same time satisfying dish has long been appreciated by visitors to Japanese restaurants. You can also prepare it at home, without spending any effort or time.
In order to create this culinary masterpiece, you will need a minimum of products:
- 4 pieces of small sea bass;
- 2 myogi, flower buds of a plant of the same name, growing exclusively in the forests of Asia;
- a tablespoon of miso paste;
- 700 milliliters dashi, which can be replaced with the same amount of fish stock made from dried tuna flakes;
- tofu;
- rice vinegar and soy sauce.
The preparation is somewhat similar to the classic recipe for traditional Japanese miso soup, but has some nuances. They relate to the preparation of the fish and consist in the fact that the perch must be well salted and grilled before being lowered into the dashi broth. Only after this is it pitted, cut into a diamond shape and added to a dish made according to the classic recipe.
Miso soup with shiitake and seaweed
Among lovers of oriental cuisine, this version of the national soup is known, which is valued not only for its excellent quality and ease of preparation, but also for its very low calorie content (only 12.2 calories per 100 grams of product!).
To prepare miso soup with seaweed and shiitake, you will need the following ingredients:
- soy paste – 60 grams;
- dashi broth - half a liter;
- salted seaweed – 50 grams;
- Shiitake mushrooms - half a packet.
The cooking process is that you first need to soak the mushrooms for about an hour. Next, they are filled with dashi broth, brought to a boil and simmered over low heat for 20 minutes. At this time, the seaweed is washed from salt and cut into small pieces, which is lowered to the mushrooms. The rest of the cooking process is exactly the same as in the classic version described above.
