Healthy Miso Soup Vegan Recipe (Basics for Beginners) | Purple Avocado (2024)

FAQs

How to make miso soup without killing the probiotics? ›

Avoid high heat when cooking with it, as it will kill off the good bacteria. When making miso soup, turn off the heat and dissolve (using a muddler like this will help avoid clumps).

Dashi (出汁) is broth or soup stock that forms the backbone of many Japanese dishes, including miso soup. There are several different types of dashi, made either of dried kelp, shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes, or anchovies/sardines.

Soybeans, used to make miso paste, are also rich in protein and other important nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. Miso soup contains prebiotics and probiotics, which may contribute to improved gut health. Miso soup contains the prebiotic A. oryzae.

The fermentation process involved in the production of miso promotes levels of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. These bacteria are thought to help a range of health issues, including digestion and gut health.

Boiling miso can harm the probiotic bacteria. At temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit these delicate bacteria are destroyed. We recommend adding miso paste to soups just prior to serving.

Because it is a fermented food miso is probiotic and easily digestible, making it an ideal detoxing food for the gut. Miso can also help guard against cancer, heart disease and diabetes and it can strengthen the immune system.

Most miso stock is dashi, a Japanese broth made from dried fish, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms. Japanese versions of vegan miso stock use dashi that only contains mushrooms and kelp. Miso stock in the United States may use vegetable, chicken, or Western-style fish stock instead of dashi.

Tamari/Coconut Aminos

For an easy miso substitute, blend a few tablespoons of either tamari or coconut aminos with a can of cooked chickpeas. If desired, season with additional sea salt.

Some miso soup is made with katsuobushi dashi, a stock containing katsuobushi, or bonito flakes. These non-vegan flakes are made of smoked skipjack tuna ( 3 , 4 ). Niboshi dashi is another type of miso soup that uses dried Japanese anchovies instead of tuna in its stock. As such, it's likewise not vegan ( 5 ).

Miso soup is low calorie, low fat, and high in nutrient content, so it is safe to eat daily. However, it does have a high salt content. So, those on blood thinning medication or who have heart problems (including high blood pressure and heart disease) may want to limit their consumption of miso soup.

Which is the healthiest miso? ›

In terms of health benefits, the darker and more strongly flavored miso varieties tend to be the most nutritious. Here are a few of the healthiest types of miso: Red Miso: Made with a higher percentage of soybeans and fermented for a longer period of time, red miso has a rich, complex flavor and a dark red-brown color.

The consumption of miso has also been reported to exert health effects, such as fat suppression [9], anti-inflammation [10] and stroke prevention [11]. Miso contains various microorganisms, such as Aspergillus, yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

Because miso is made with soybeans, those who are allergic to soy should avoid miso and other soy-containing products. Miso may also be used as an ingredient in other packaged products, so it is best to read the ingredients list and label to ensure that what you're buying is free of soy.

Eating miso soup every day can be okay for many people, as miso is a nutritious and flavorful ingredient commonly used in Japanese cuisine. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that provides a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It also contains beneficial probiotics that can support gut health.

When you make miso soup at home, you can put a ton of ingredients including some protein (most commonly chicken, sliced pork or sea food), and it can be one complete meal… although it's conventionally considered a side dish.

Miso instant soup is a great source of protein and healthy fats. It also contains probiotics that aid in digestion, may reduce cholesterol levels, increase bone density, lower your risk for heart disease and decrease inflammation throughout the body.

As a general rule, when probiotic cultures are subjected to temperatures of 120 degrees F and above they start to die off [1]. It's the reason fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso, marketed as containing “live” beneficial bacteria, can't be exposed to high heat during the cooking process.

Does Heat Kill Probiotics? Some fermented foods lose their probiotic organisms as a result of heat treatment. Canned sauerkraut and canned kimchi, two foods that contain probiotics when not canned, are put under heat as part of the canning process. Often, this heat deactivates the probiotics found in these foods.

Generally, many probiotic strains begin to lose viability at temperatures exceeding 110 F (43 C), with most strains being severely compromised or killed at temperatures around 120 F (49 C) or higher.