Ayurvedic Cooking: Mixed Vegetable Miso Soup with Rice Noodles

Miso soup is not only delicious, but it inspires contemplation; a few vegetables floating around in a clear, amber broth. It’s even a bit salty, which makes it balancing for vata dosha. So sip, contemplate, and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida (available at Indian stores)
• 1 bok choy, sliced crosswise into thin strips
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup thin sliced daikon radish
• 12 fenugreek leaves
• 4 okra pods, sliced
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced leek rings
• 2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid mains
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or 2 organic stock cubes and 8 cups filtered water)
• 2 teaspoons miso paste
• or potato or soy noodles, broken into small pieces

In a saucepan, heat the ghee over low heat and saute the ginger until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Sir in asafetida and then the rest of the ingredients except the noodles. Raise the heat, bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the noodles. Simmer for 20 minutes more. Ladle into heated bowls and serve immediately.

For pitta: Substitute jicama for the daikon, parsnip or green beans for the carrot, and cabbage for the leek. Omit the asafetida.

For kapha: Substitute buckwheat noodles for the rice noodles and sunflower oil for the ghee.

For dairy-free: Use sesame oil instead of ghee.

Source: Eat, Taste, Heal by Thomas Yarema, MD, Daniel Rhoda, Chef Johnny Brannigan