Mushroom, Miso and Seaweed Soup

I've known about the health benefits of eating seaweed for years now, but earlier attempts to incorporate this mineral and vitamin rich sea vegetable into my diet didn't last for long. It's not because I didn't enjoy the salty strips, but I was less creative in the kitchen back then and didn't really know what to do with it, so usually I would end up nibbling on some dulse seaweed from the package.

I've since learned that seaweed can be sprinkled on salads, added to soups and sauces and even baked into a salty treat. Indeed, because of the saltiness of seaweed, it is an ideal addition to brothy soups, like this Miso, Mushroom and Seaweed soup that I made for the dinner the other night.

Not only does seaweed contain loads of minerals and vitamins essential to good health, it is also good for your skin and hair and is known to have cleansing properties. I now have three different types of seaweed on hand and plan to incorporate this healthy gift from the ocean into my diet more often.

Mushroom, Miso and Seaweed Soup

14 grams of mixed dried mushrooms
4 - 5 strips of wakame seaweed
6 ounces of button mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 large shallot, cut into thin strips
2 scallions, green and white parts, cut into thin rings
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons of dulse seaweed, crumbled or cut into small pieces
7 cups of water
2 tablespoons of dark miso
a splash of tamari sauce
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. In another small bowl, soak the wakame in 1 cup of warm water for 20 minutes. Drain both the mushrooms and wakame seaweed, reserving the soaking liquid.

In a large pot, bring the reserved soaking liquid, along with the remaining 5 cups of water, and the ginger, white parts of the scallions and shallot to a boil. Now add the soaked dried and fresh mushrooms to the pot and the dulse seaweed and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, place the miso in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of hot water and mix with a fork until the miso is dissolved. Add to the soup pot, along with the wakame seaweed, tamari sauce and black pepper, and simmer gently for another few minutes. Adjust seasonings accordingly. Garnish each steaming bowl of soup with some of the scallion greens.

Serves 4.

More mushroom soups from my vegetarian kitchen:
Miso Soup with Wild Mushrooms
Wild Rice and Portobello Mushroom Soup
Coconut Soup with Mushrooms
Hungarian Mushroom Soup