Mighty Miso Soup

4-5 cups spring water

1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water, until softened

1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice

2-3 tsp barley miso

2 scallions, finely chopped

1. Chop soaked wakame, and discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
2. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
3. Add root and ground vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
4. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
6. Turn off heat, allow soup to continue cooking 2-3 minutes- do not boil or simmer miso broth.
7. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Note: Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. 

 Variations:

• Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will be  soft.
• Add a TBS of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
• Add cubed tofu toward the end.
• Use dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.