Miso Ginger Winter Soup

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth

01 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

02 - 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

03 - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

04 - 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

06 - 1 cup baby spinach or bok choy, roughly chopped

07 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or thinly sliced

08 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Garnish

09 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

10 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

11 - 1 teaspoon chili oil or pinch of red pepper flakes

# Direction Steps:

01 - In a large saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add sliced ginger and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes to develop aromatic infusion.

02 - Add mushrooms and carrot slices to the broth. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables reach tender-crisp texture.

03 - Remove a ladleful of hot broth and whisk with miso paste in a small bowl until completely smooth and lump-free.

04 - Reduce soup heat to low. Stir the miso mixture back into the pot without boiling to preserve probiotic cultures.

05 - Add spinach or bok choy and green onions. Stir until wilted, approximately 1 minute.

06 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional miso or soy sauce as desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro, and chili oil or flakes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It's ready faster than ordering takeout, yet tastes like someone spent hours coaxing flavors into existence.
The ginger actually warms you from the inside, especially on days when the cold feels personal.
You're getting probiotics that your gut actually notices, not just a health claim on a label.

02 -

Never let miso paste boil directly in broth, or you'll sacrifice the living probiotics that make this soup actually nourishing and not just warm vegetables.
Dissolving the miso in cool broth first before reintroducing it to the pot is the secret that separates mediocre miso soup from the kind that lingers on your tongue.

03 -