Lentil Miso Soup

Miso makes a lovely soup base and trumps the need for a soup stock. I like to use red miso because it makes a hearty soup, and the flavor complements lentils nicely. The lentils should be soaked overnight to soften them up.

Ingredients

4 c. water
1 c. brown lentils (soaked in 4 c. water overnight)
1/4 c. adzuki beans (optional – if you use them, soak them with the lentils overnight)
3 tbsp. red miso
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
¼ c. chopped onion (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
2 crushed garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
2 shredded collard leaves (optional)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions

Soak the lentils (and beans if used) over night in 4-5 cups of water. Before cooking the soup, drain the lentils and beans and rinse them thoroughly. Put 4 cups of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the brown lentils (and adzuki beans) and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot. Let it simmer for one hour.

Slice the carrots, chop the celery, and chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, turn down the heat and sauté the vegetables along with the crushed garlic cloves for a couple of minutes. If you use onion and garlic powders instead of the real vegetables, then don’t add them here. You will add them a little later.

Chop the collard leaves into shreds if you wish to include this ingredient. Set the collards aside.

After one hour, remove the pot with the lentils from the burner. Add the red miso and stir it in until it completely dissolves in the water. Then add 1-2 cups of additional water, depending on how thick you want the soup. Add the lemon juice. Put all the vegetables (both the sauté and the collards) and all the herbs/spices into the pot. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 20 minutes. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a little water. It’s ready!

If you eat dairy, then try a little grated parmesan in this soup, or a dollop of sour cream.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!