Spicy Miso Soup

I love savory hot foods and miso soup is the perfect rainy day dish to fill the tummy and help you shake off the chill. Even if you aren't in the mood for visiting your local sushi bar, you can still make miso at home.

Miso soup is one of those mysterious dishes that might look hard to prepare, but in fact is the easiest thing in the world -- and it just happens to be low in fat and calories. You can find the paste in your local health-food store and as long as you store it in an airtight zipper-lock bag, it will store well for months in the meat drawer of your fridge.

The only downside to miso is the sodium content. Health professionals say to stay under 2,300 milligrams of salt a day, that's 1 teaspoon. In most packaged miso pastes, one tablespoon can contain up to 750 milligrams alone. So, look for the reduced-sodium or light version that still has the rich flavor with a lot less salt. Get my recipe for spicy miso soup after the jump.

Spicy Miso Soup

Serves 4

2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 small hot chili, such as habanero, thinly sliced, some seeds removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup reduced-sodium miso paste
4 cups water
1 6-ounce packet enoki or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups baby spinach
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the chili and the garlic. Cook about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the miso paste and cook another 30 seconds until the paste starts to coat the inside of the pot. Add the water, mushrooms, spinach and scallions.

Bring to a slow simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through and the spinach has wilted. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info for one serving (1 1/2cups):
150 calories, 7 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 500 milligrams sodium, 14 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein.

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