Welcome to...
'The Feel Good Foods Cafe'
~ with 'Feel Good Guru' Moira Nordholt
Some people classify November as late autumn. I like to refer to November as "Soup Season"! I get excited in the fall when all the beautiful root veggies start to show up at the farmers' market and the air starts to bite back just a little. There's a nostalgic quality to this time of year, the quiet lull between seasons where we can turn inward for a moment, focus our energies on our bodies and spirits before the madness of holiday season is thrust upon us. If we have the intention, we can make some time this month for nurturing and healing that will set a positive tone for the dark months ahead. November is an ideal month to slow down on purpose, pamper ourselves - go on a weekend retreat, get a massage, steal a few extra minutes in the steam room at the gym...and make soup!
If you're unable to slow down and your big excuse for not cooking is lack of time, then I have the perfect soup recipe for you. It really only requires two ingredients: miso and water, but can be made slightly more complex with just a few more ingredients and a couple more minutes of preparation. Miso, a fermented soy bean paste that originated in ancient China, is one of the oft-overlooked superfoods no healthy kitchen should be without. Not only does it add great flavour and a buttery texture to foods, it also adds non-animal B-vitamins, protein and minerals that support your immune system and build energy. Miso aids in digestion and assimilation, it alkalizes the blood and detoxifies the body. It can be used in many different ways, and will keep for a long time in your fridge.
Traditionally made with soy, some misos also feature brown rice, barley or wheat. In Asia, miso-making is considered a high art. Craftsmen and artisans take pride in their work and guard their secret techniques jealously. If you think you don't like miso, try a different kind. There are light misos and dark misos, the dark ones being strong, salty and pungent in flavour, sometimes overbearing depending on their use, and the lighter being more suitable for soups due to their milder, almost sweet flavour.
Moira Nordholt is the founder of feelgoodguru.com, an online destination for body, mind and planet bursting with healthy plant-based food and recipes, cool eco-stuff, green travel and inspirational people. She owned and operated Fossil Face Cafe, Banff's first vegetarian restaurant, and spent six years in the kitchen developing delicious recipes for a loyal local and international clientele. Since then, she's had the privilege of cooking for some of North America's most noted vegetarians and working with some of Canada's top spas and retreats, including Grail Springs. She splits her time between Toronto and Venice, California where she writes, consults, caters and constantly seeks to inspire evolution. Moira is presently working on a guide to going vegan for 3 weeks called "Feel Good Fast".
My favourite miso for soups, sauces, marinades and dressings is Cold Mountain Mellow White Miso. It's is made with non-GMO ingredients and 100% certified organic soybeans, and has a delicate, subtly sweet flavour. It can be found at most health food stores. Take five minutes out to prepare this simple yet wonderfully nutritious and delicious miso soup. Then sit back, sip it slowly and feel it working its healing magic in every cell of your body.
Miso, Matchstick and Nori Soup
(for one)
2 cups of spring or filtered water
1 organic carrot
1 green onion
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp mild miso (my fave is Cold Mountain Mellow White Miso)
small handful of nori strips (the same seaweed sushi is made with, available at health food stores or Japanese speciality shops)
optional, pinch of crushed chiles
optional, a quarter of a block of firm silken tofu
Chop the carrot into three or four 1-inch pieces. Slice length-wise, then slice again into match-sized sticks. Place carrots in a small cast iron pan on medium-high heat with sesame oil and saute until they're crispy. This brings out the natural sugars in the carrots. They're delicious. You can eat these matchsticks just as they are, or sprinkle them on salads or rice dishes as well. Meantime, add hot (not boiling) water to miso in a soup bowl and stir until it's dissolved. Add the matchstick carrots, the green onion, chopped, the nori strips, a pinch of crushed chiles if you like a little heat, and some cubed silken tofu if you like a little more substance to your broth.