Delicious and healthy miso soup

I'm a huge fan of Japan's food staple-- miso soup. Delving into that little bowl of tasty goodness is a great part of the sushi experience to me. I think miso soup is good for the soul, and studies show it's good for the body, too. After a long hunt for some random ingredients(dashi granules, anyone? I can't even find them at Central Market, and combining several recipes/substitutions wasn't working) and several unsatisfactory attempts, I've finally found the right recipe for my husband and I. Found in the exercise program P90x's recipe book, this miso soup is healthy and delicious--and most importantly, a cinch to make. So, check it out! Let me know what you think!

Side note: I apologize for the badly focused photo. I was so excited to eat my soup that I was in a hurry. :-)



P90x Miso Soup

• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped. These are a mild onion but they look like reddish garlic cloves.
• 3 tablespoons miso. I found white miso paste at central market. This is the most important part!
• 1 quart vegetable stock. I used Kitchen Basics original-- it's 20 cal/0 fat/330mg sodium(way lower than any other stock)
• 1/4 cup firm silken tofu, diced is what they recommend, but I used an entire package. Good luck dicing. ;-) 
• 3 tablespoons scallions(green onions), sliced

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent.

2. Add the miso and vegetable stock and whisk the miso to mix. Bring the soup to a simmer--just under boiling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. You don't want to boil the soup--it'll make the miso paste grainy.

3. Add tofu and green onions a few minutes before serving.

Now, p90x says you can add protein powder just before serving. This sounds disgusting, but if you are all into p90x by all means, go for it. :-) We thoroughly enjoyed our soup and it was great reheated the next day. I served it with a salad topped with chow mein noodles and light asian sesame dressing. Enjoy!

Nutrition facts:

107 calories

3 g total fat - 23% calories from fat

16 g carbohydrates

1 mg cholesterol

1,052 mg sodium(this could be lower because i used low sodium veggie stock)