I’m inspired by my Japanese ancestry to transform a traditional fish-based soup into a vibrant vegan and gluten-free broth that anyone can eat. Miso soup is a gentle healer for the digestive system, providing healthy bacteria and minerals for the body which can impart overall physical and mental well-being. This is a Plant-Powered Paleo recipe because it is high in protein and contains no grains. A bowl containing ½ cup tofu provides about 15g protein and less than 2g of carbohydrate.

First, make the dashi (soup broth):
Place 3 dried shiitake mushrooms and 2 postcard-sized pieces of kombu in 4 Qt water and let soak 30 minutes.

Bring to a gentle boil. Remove kombu when it floats to surface.

Bring the remaining shiitakes to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, then let cool to room temp before removing shiitakes. Will keep for up to 3 days in fridge.

Next, make the miso soup:  
Slice a block of firm organic tofu into 1/2” cubes.

Heat the dashi to 150 degrees. Ladle out 1 cup of the dashi into another glass container. Whisk in 8 Tbsp organic miso. When dissolved, mix this into the rest of the dashi.

Add the tofu cubes to the miso broth. Gently heat the soup until the tofu is warmed through, about 10 minutes. Ladle the miso soup into a bowl and sprinkle thinly sliced scallions on top.

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