About a hundred years before me, he was born in Japan, into a prominent family of samurai Mikao Usui, the founder of the famous method of reiki. I have been studying and teaching Reiki for twenty years, and as far as I know, the master had no particular influence on Japanese cuisine. But it happened to me that it was thanks to him and Reiki that I became aware of the Japanese tradition. Ikebana, karate, haiku poetry, green tea, miso soup and we are already at the table. From a Japanese tradition, I was most drawn to cooking.
Japanese cuisine is mainly fish, so my plates in restaurants have remained with vegetarian sushi. At home, wrapping seaweed in rolls filled with the right cooked rice of the right variety didn’t sit well with me, so I stuck to soups. It’s much simpler and happier. To be content, fulfilled and happy is very Japanese. It is also in their tradition to devote themselves entirely to the kitchen. Consistency, few ingredients, a special way of cutting and a sharp knife are the main approaches.
I had a knife even before I was fascinated by Japanese cuisine. Someone gave it to me along with a special wood protection current. Apparently he could see my future. The knife is large and sharp, and the instructions for use completely dissuaded me from taking it into my hands. The knife, it was written, is the chef’s personal property. It is not common for everyone to use it. In our rather busy kitchen, this would be hard to contemplate. Except after each use, rinse the knife thoroughly with cold (never hot) water, wipe with a soft, dry cloth, and reconnect the protective current. If this rule had been followed, no one else would have touched it.
So I started the miso soup. It must be said that these soups are very popular and they are usually made with fish, even if there is no fish in them. This soup base, dashi, can alternatively be prepared from seaweed and mushrooms. My advice? Miso soup is excellent even without a soup base. I’ve put a lot of effort and research into this because I really like miso soups. The postman even brought me a cookbook, Vegan Japanesy, with recipes suitable for cooking at home. I also befriended a knife, wiping it here and there and putting it back in its place.
Today’s recipe is the easiest miso soup you can imagine. For a more Japanese feel, make the bowls as nice as possible, the wooden spoons, and you can grate the vegetables from the soup with Japanese chopsticks. I wish you good luck and satisfaction. Mikao Usui would add five rules for a healthy life here. Don’t get angry and worry today, enjoy what you are doing, be respectful and kind. Such a soup will be full of vital energy and, of course, healing.
miso soup
For two cups.
- 1 carrot
- 2cm fresh ginger
- half a small broccoli
- for a fist shit
- clear part of the leek
- spoonful of sesame oil
- spoon of soy sauce
- topped with a dollop of black miso paste
- maybe a little salt
Preparation
1. Peel a carrot and cut it into short sticks. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel a squash, grate it and cut it into small pieces. It will be good if they are the same size as the carrot. Scrape the ginger root with a spoon. Cut into thin slices to cut the fibers, then into sticks. Cut the white part of the leek thinly and obliquely, use the remaining green part for something else. Break the mushroom caps, discard the beets. Leave small shiitake whole, cut larger ones into quarters or eighths depending on size.
2. Quickly fry all the vegetables in the sesame oil. Even before the vegetables are coloured, pour 400 ml of water over them.
3. Add the soy sauce and cook for 5 to 10 minutes depending on your desire for cooked vegetables, more or less firm.
4. Mix the miso paste separately with a little water. Pour it into the cooked broth, stir, make sure it is salty enough and immediately pour into a bowl.
Tip: Miso paste is fermented soybeans, it can also be rice or barley. It adds a special flavor, vitamins and minerals to soups. You can buy it online.
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