The best part of it all is that it tastes great. Rich in flavour and full of texture this soup makes a deeply satisfying winter dish.

Superhero Immune Boosting Miso Soup
Makes 4 cups

one handful of dried seaweed (I used kombu, dulse and sea kelp. You don’t have to use all of them, just one would be sufficient. Kombu is the least ‘seaweed-y tasting’ of the three)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, mashed and finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
any seasonal veggies, chopped (I used celery root, carrots, and rapini. In the winter it’s good to use roots and crucifers.)
dark miso paste (miso comes in many varieties, the darker it is the less sweet it is and tends to be slightly higher in probiotics)

Sauté
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 cup cabbage, shredded (green or red)
your choice, either: 2 eggs whisked, 1/2 cup precooked beans, 1/2 cup tofu, or 1/2 cup animal protein
1/2 teaspoon tamari

In a medium soup pot add 5 cups of water with dried seaweed, onion, garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Add vegetables in order of longest cooking times (i.e. root vegetables and squash should be added first, allowed to cook in for a few minutes, then vine vegetables (peppers, nightshades), last added are leafy vegetables which should be cooked just for a few minutes to preserve their texture and bright color). Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl add a few tablespoons of hot soup broth to the miso and stir to dissolve. Portion the miso between bowls and add soup on top. (Miso is a traditional food of fermented soy and grain. It’s incredible healthy and contains living enzymes and probiotics that won’t survive if they are cooked or heated above certain temperatures or for too long. For this reason you never want to actually cook it into what you’re making. Just add warm liquid to dissolve the paste and then add it to your dish.)

Adding a sauté brings a variety of texture and added flavour to the soup.

Heat a sauté pan and add oil or butter. Add cabbage and stir so that it’s completely coated with oil. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the cabbage has softened sufficiently. Add protein and sauté until it’s cooked to your liking. Mix into soup and serve immediately.

(okay… but maybe that title is a bit too much.) And for any of you who might be getting a bit tired of all this fig business, (who are you anyway?) This is the last post about figs. I just feel the need to really drive this point home. Figs are so good for you! And they taste amazing. No wonder they’re the food of the gods. Fantastic figs!

Besides bring richer in calcium than cow’s milk, figs contain a significant amount of protein, lots of dietary fiber, high vitamin E and vitamins B2 and B6!

Do you wonder what all those things mean and what they’re good for?

One serving of figs (8 ounces, or about 2-3 fresh figs) contain:

15% RDA of Potassium which helps control high blood pressure
30%RDA Dietary fiber which contributes to lower cholesterol levels and helps in weight loss. In a recent study women who ate more fruit fiber had a 34% decrease in risk of breast cancer.
8% RDA of Calcium promotes bone density and helps absorption of
10% magnesium which decreases symptoms like hypertension and aids in prevention against diabetes and
14% manganese which helps the body assimilate key nutrients, maintains optimal thyroid function and helps maintain blood sugar levels.

Antidiabetic properties have been found in liquid extract from fig leaves, and in one study diabetics who consumed the extract were shown to require decreased amounts of insulin from injection. Fig leaves have also been shown to lower levels of triglycerides (a form in which fats circulate in the bloodstream) and have been shown to be effective in inhibiting certain types of cancer cells.

Enjoy!