Today I want to tell you about some of my favorite miso. The darker one on the left is kidaru jukusei mugi miso from Fundokin Company. It is a dark, barley miso. The lighter one on the right is sweet, white kojimiso from …….
Miyako Oriental Company (Yamajirushi brand). If these particular miso are not available in your neighborhood, pick one which is the dark brown variety and choose another sweet type white miso. Purchase miso that has no chemical additives or preservatives. Keep yourmiso in your freezer.
hearty chicken and kale miso soup
Now I want to share wiht you my favorite recipe for chicken and kale miso soup. This delicious and easy-to-prepare soup is perfect for a light lunch, served along with a bowl of brown rice sprinkled with roughly ground black sesame seeds or served with whole wheat toast spread with, perhaps, sesame seed butter. You can increase the amount of chicken up to 8 ounces for a heartier soup. As I wrote in my previous blog, I am making this soup wiht 70% sweet white miso blended with 30% aged, salty red miso. This proportion is perfect for the colder temperature coming to my area in November.
6 ounces chicken breast, skin on
6 ounces kale with stem
2 1/2 cups kelp stock or water
2/3 tablespoon koji shiromiso (sweet white miso)
1/3 tablespoon akamiso (dark brown miso)
Red chile flakes
1. Heat a medium pot (no oil; the chicken skin has enough fat for cooking in this preparation) and when it is hot add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden. Turn the chicken over and cook until the other side is also golden. Remove the chicken and cool the pot off the stove for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the chicken into thin slices.
2. Cut the kale into julienne slices, including stems.
3, In the cooled pot add the kelp stock and bring it to a boil. Add the kale and chicken and cook, covered, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Place the miso in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup stock from the pot. With a whisk dissolve the miso. Add the dissolved miso to the pot and bring it to a gentle boil. Immediately turn off the heat and serve hot. Sprinkle a little red chile flakes, if you like.
NOTE:
- You can prep everything far in advance, but do the last step – dissolving and adding miso – at the last minute before serving.
- Use shrimp or salmon instead of chicken if you are seafood lover. Shrimp: Blanch them, shell attached, in boiling water before adding to the stock. Salmon: Cut the fillet into bite sized small cubes and blanch them in boiling water before adding to the stock.
- The above recipe serves four (4). If you are making it just for yourself, reduce the recipe to half. Enjoy half portion of the prepared soup for your lunch or dinner and refrigerate the remaining half. I usually do not recommend to reheat miso soup, but you can heat up the remaining soup for your next day’s lunch or dinner for convenience.