Winter is a time for comfort food. A bowl of soup is probably the ultimate comfort food at any time of the year, but especially in winter. Raw food soups are usually served cold, but you can gently warm them to about 115°F (approximately 46°C) taking care not to destroy the precious enzymes. If you like Japanese cuisine and its particular umami flavor, this one is for you.
I used my Raw Vegan Miso Paste Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms as topping for this velvety soup. This is a make-ahead ingredient. For recipe please click here. The mushrooms are very tasty and are more digestible than fresh, raw ones. They not only add interesting texture to this minimalist soup, but also vital nutrients and an incredible flavor.
Ingredients suggested here will make two medium large bowls of soup. To make more simply multiply the amounts.
Ingredients:
for the soup
- 2 cups cashews, soaked in purified water overnight
- 3 cups purified water
- 1/2 head of black aged garlic
- 4 Tbsp raw, unpasteurized miso paste (I used nama genmai or the raw brown rice miso)
- 2 Tbsp cold pressed virgin olive oil
toppings
- marinated shiitake mushrooms
- julienned carrots
- thinly sliced green onions
- baby pak choi sliced in half
- raw furikake seasoning (optional)
Method:
- In a blender whiz cashews with purified water. Add peeled black garlic and blend again. Add miso paste and olive oil and blend until your soup is very smooth and creamy. Adjust the taste to you personal liking. I did not need any additional salt or pepper but you are welcome to add whatever spice you like. Keep it simple.
- Pour the soup to individual bowls. Garnish with julienned carrots, sliced green onions, and baby pak choi. Sprinkle some furikake and enjoy in good company!
Tip: Make your own raw furikake out of chopped dried seaweed, white and black sesame seeds, Celtic sea salt, tiny bit of onion powder, matcha, and nutritional yeast.
As I mentioned in the beginning, you can gently warm up this soup. Thanks to the added raw miso paste the soup is not only flavorful, but also good for your gut because it is full of live probiotic cultures.
One last thing. Like any pickled or fermented food, miso paste contains amino acid tyramine. Since tyramine can interact with some antidepressants, please consult your healthcare provider before adding miso to your menu. Also, do not consume miso if you are allergic to soybeans.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2023
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.