Miso recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does miso do to your body? ›

Miso soup contains several beneficial vitamins, minerals, and components that may improve your gut and heart health and may lower your risk of cancer. If you are on a low-salt diet, read the label on packaged miso soup to choose one that's low in sodium. What the heck is miso? Miso is a fermented soybean paste.

You may want to eat miso in moderation by adding it sparingly in your day-to-day cooking, especially if you are watching your sodium intake or have high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease.

As a rule of thumb, pairing miso with earthy, woodsy flavors — think winter squashes like pumpkin, kabocha, and butternut; toasty, nutty flavors like brown butter, sesame, chocolate, and caramel; or hearty fruits like apples and bananas — adds its deep, dynamic flavor without being overpoweringly funky or salty.

Miso should be stored in a covered container and to maintain its colour and flavour, refrigeration is best. As a general rule, the lighter the colour and flavour, the more careful you will need to be and refrigeration is best. Sweet miso should be consumed within three weeks of opening, white miso within 3 months.

Why shouldn't you boil miso? Boiling miso can harm the probiotic bacteria. At temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit these delicate bacteria are destroyed. We recommend adding miso paste to soups just prior to serving.

Miso consumption is generally safe for most people. However, it does contain a large amount of salt. Thus, it may not be a good choice for individuals who need to limit their salt intake due to a medical condition. Finally, most varieties are made from soybeans, which could be considered a goitrogen.

Improves digestion: Because miso is high in probiotics, it helps the body maintain healthy bacteria levels. This bacteria contributes to digestive health, reducing gas, diarrhea, bloating and constipation.

Based on these studies, it has recently been scientifically proven that daily consumption of miso soup does not affect blood pressure. Drinking miso soup not only does not affect the rise in blood pressure, but it actually has the effect of preventing high blood pressure.

“Traditionally, rice miso is more expensive than barley miso, because the grain is more expensive,” explains Chung. Accordingly, wealthier merchants could afford to purchase more expensive miso made with rice, whereas farmers and townsfolk often ate miso made with millet, barley, or other common grains.

Hikari Miso, Organic Miso Mild Sodium Miso

This product is even healthier than others as it has less sodium. It is also the traditional Shinshu-style made from organic rice and soybeans, and has a yellow color. The high koji ratio creates a mild and sweet taste.

Is miso an inflammatory food? ›

The consumption of miso has also been reported to exert health effects, such as fat suppression [9], anti-inflammation [10] and stroke prevention [11].

Miso's greatest strength is lending deep umami flavor to vegetarian dishes, but it makes meat even tastier too. A miso-glaze or marinade does for chicken wings or a pork chop what tomato sauce does for sausage and meatballs—it adds an extra layer of savoriness.

Most vegetables will work great: spinach, radish, cabbage, onions, kabocha pumpkin, eggplant, sprouts, mushroom and so forth. Tofu, age (deep fried tofu) and wakame (seaweed) are also commonly used. Once all the ingredients are nicely cooked, then you put miso and serve it right away.

Pairing miso soup with wine requires a balance of acidity and flavors that complement the soup's umami. Recommended wines include Blanc de Noirs Champagne, Riesling from Alsace, Loire Chenin Blanc, and Chassagne-Montrachet.

Miso paste is very frequently used in soups, stews and broths. However, it has other applications as well. Some of the foods that can use miso paste include ramen broth, miso soup, vegetable stews, marinades and pan-fry sauces.

Adding it to boiling water will kill the probiotics in the miso, nixing the health benefits it typically offers, like better digestive health. Wait until the soup has been taken off the heat and then stir or whisk in miso to taste. The paste-like texture will melt into the soup thanks to the residual heat of the stock.

It's ready to use straight out of the pack and doesn't require any special preparation, but it's not really meant to be eaten on its own (although no judging here!). As for that much-loved miso flavour, it's salty, savoury, a little bit meaty and sometimes can be a little funky too… in a good way!

Savory is usually the word used to describe the flavor of miso. Different types of miso paste vary in intensity, but in general, you can compare the flavor of miso paste to a rich soy sauce. It's salty and concentrated with fermented hints of tanginess.