I am out in the garden every day now, finding any excuse to be there. The fresh air, to experience the spring in its full glory. It can still be cold and unpredictable but we are now blessed with warm weather days that lift us up and put a spring in our step.
precious evening twilight & a walk in the garden
I had written this at the start of spring last year but it got put to the side by other inspiring dishes. A lovely light cleansing soup. You can vary this recipe using whatever vegetables you like. In summer, I add a whole cob of corn, cut into fours, with thinly shaved garden zucchinis. For a more substantial meal, add a small amount of cooked noodles when adding the blanched vegetables. It is important not to boil the miso, the rich enzymes and nutrients due to the fermentation, will be lost.
spring miso with lemon
I have been slowly working my way through Amy Chaplin’s – At Home in the Wholefood Kitchen. This recipe is another from her book – ever so slightly adapted.
If you want to make this soup ahead of time, leave out the miso and keep the blanched vegetables and dashi separate. Reheat together; then add miso, lemon zest and juice.
Serves 4
dashi
6 cups water
4-inch piece kombu
2 large slices fresh ginger
soup
8 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut diagonally
1 cup tiny broccoli florets/sugar snap peas, strings removed and chopped in half lengthwise
1 carrot, thinly sliced into rounds
2 small radishes, thinly sliced
6 – 8 Tbsp sweet white miso
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
handful of baby kale/spinach leaves
make the dashi
1. In a medium pot place the kombu, ginger, and filtered water bring up to boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to a low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove kombu and ginger using a slotted spoon.
make the soup
2. Bring the dashi up to a simmer over high heat, add the asparagus, broccoli/sugar snap peas, carrots, and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the radish rounds and cook for another 30 seconds, reduce heat to low, then remove all the vegetables using a slotted spoon. Set aside to cool.
4. In a small bowl mix the miso to a paste using a little of the soup and pour through a small strainer into the soup. Taste, add more miso or a small spoon of salt if necessary.
5. Add the blanched vegetables and small kale/spinach leaves, warm over a gentle heat for a minute or until the leaves are wilted.
6. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice. (Adding a pungent flavour such as ginger or lemon to miso soup just before serving will activate the enzyme, making them more beneficial).
Serve immediately.
Goodness shared by Stacey
