Hot And Sour Soup

A simple, warming and invigorating soup.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp lemon grass, minced

• 1 cup celery, diced

• ½ cup carrot, diced

• 1 small chili pepper, minced

• 1-1/2 cup sliced mushrooms -shiitake, enoki, etc.

• 5 cups vegetable broth

• ½ cup tofu, cut in small cubes

• ½ cup green onions, sliced

• ¾ c bok choy or spinach, chopped

• ½ c rice vinegar

• 2 Tbsp mirin (sweet sake)

• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce or to taste

• 2 Tbsp miso paste

Instructions

1. Heat oil over moderate heat in a large pot and briefly sauté the ginger, garlic and lemon grass.  Add celery, carrots, chili and mushrooms.  Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, tofu, green onions, bok choy, mirin and soy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Combine miso with some of the broth from soup to make a creamy consistency.  Stir into soup just before serving along with rice vinegar.

4. You can also add an additional 2T sesame oil for more flavor and/or 1-1/2 t red chili flakes for more heat.

Energetics:  

Flavors: Sour, Pungent, Salty and slightly Sweet and Bitter. This recipe is overall warming and stimulating. It moves Qi, Blood, tonifies Yang, and resolves damp and phlegm.

Here’s to your warm toes!

April