Immune Building Carrot Miso Soup with Crispy Mushroom Crackers by Chef Carrie Bonfitto

Baby it’s cold outside! So, cozy up while we show you how to create your own Immune Building Soup.

Learn how to make a flavorful Carrot Miso Soup with Crispy Mushroom Crackers.

Soul-Warming Bowl of Deliciousness

This recipe comes packed with nourishing ingredients like miso, kombu, garlic, ginger, and carrots. To make this a complete dish we add a side of crispy mushrooms which have some unique vitamins needed by the immune system as well as a mouthwatering umami flavor. In fact, you might just find yourself craving this soul-warming bowl of deliciousness all winter long.

The immune system is like your own personal bodyguard that works to keep you healthy and strong without you knowing. And although wintertime tends to challenge the immune system, we can boost our natural resistance starting in your own kitchen. Some of the most effective (and yummy!) ingredients include the following.

Effective Immune Building Ingredients

Mushrooms are a favorite for immune health and they have long been used for healing in various cultures. In fact, we consider most mushrooms to be medicinal.
While Vitamin D is hard to come by through diet alone, mushrooms contain vitamin D2 and can help you reach your daily intake. Studies show that they can increase the production and activity of white blood cells which aid in fighting infections. They also provide protein, B complex vitamins, selenium, zinc, and a wide array of other nutrients.

Kombu, a type of seaweed, is nutrient-dense, cooling, and moistening. It is high in potassium, iodine, calcium, A, C, E and B complex vitamins. Seaweed has as much as 38% protein. It also enhances the flavors of food. Documented health benefits include supporting appropriate blood cholesterol levels, removing toxic metals and radioactive elements from the body, and preventing goiter or thyroid enlargement. Kombu supports the bones, teeth, nerves, digestion, immunity, hair, and skin.

Water – Hydration helps immune cells flow through our bodies and helps flush things out. Consuming soup is a wonderful way to get this powerful H2O into our cells as the minerals in the soup are electrolytes.

Garlic comes with a long bragging list of health benefits, with immune support near the top. It contains sulfur compounds, which experts believe are responsible for many of its benefits and packs a powerful antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal punch. Did you know that you can boost one of the active compounds (called allicin) by letting garlic sit for 10 minutes after chopping it.

Onions and scallions – Originating in Asia, these have been used for more than 6000 years and are the most commonly used vegetables in the world. They contain many of the same health benefits as garlic and are milder in taste. Scallions are often used as a garnish to give an extra little taste kick and crunch.

Carrots come from a plant native to Afghanistan and come in many colors from white to dark red. In ancient Rome the carrot was considered an aphrodisiac. Carrots support the lungs, kidneys, digestive system, and liver. The beta-carotene they contain supports the eyes and prevents night blindness. Carrots contain B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, and the phytonutrient coumarin, which prevents blood clotting and reduces cancer risk.

Ginger root needs no hype. This ancient rhizome has long been used medicinally, from soothing motion sickness to quenching inflammation, and now there’s research to back it up. Gingerol, a bioactive component of ginger, comes with powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties to keep you healthy. Ginger supports circulation, respiration, digestion, and the nervous system, and has been used to treat colds and fevers.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste that contains many immune-boosting nutrients. There are many different types of miso, ranging from salty and savory to mild and sweet, depending on the variety of ingredients and how long it is fermented. Brown miso is fermented for up to three years and is more medicinally powerful.
Miso is considered helpful to support digestion, prevent cancer, and reduce the effects of radiation, smoking, and other toxins. Because it is fermented, miso is a source of bioavailable and complete protein.

Bring family together and enjoy the flavor and benefits of this delicious dish packed with nutritional gems.

Check out the recipe below or learn more about Chef Carrie Bonfitto, NC, BCHN®, Laura Knoff, NC, BCHN®, and the rest of the Holistic Chef Team by visiting our faculty page.

Carrot Miso Soup with Crispy Mushroom Crackers

Carrot Miso Soup Recipe adapted from VforVeggie.com | Prep Time: 15 min (plus 3 hours for soaking kombu) | Cook Time: 45 min | Serves: 4
Mushroom Crackers Recipe adapted from Nomnompaleo.com | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Carrot Miso Soup

• 1 piece kombu, about 4 inches
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound carrots, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
• Sea salt, to taste
• 3 tablespoons miso paste of choice
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (garnish)
• sesame oil (garnish)

Crispy Mushroom Crackers

• 1 pound king trumpet mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted ghee
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
   

INSTRUCTIONS

Carrot Miso Soup

1. Add kombu to a large container or pot and cover with 4 cups cold water. Let sit for 3 hours on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. Then remove the kombu. (This is a cold brew kombu dashi stock.)
2. Heat a medium pot, over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and the carrots, sauté a few more minutes to create some caramelization on the edges of the vegetables.
3.  Add the ginger and kombu dashi stock. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cook until the carrot is very tender. About 20 minutes or more depending on how thinly you sliced the carrots. Turn off the heat to let cool slightly.
4. Puree the soup with an immersion blender in the pot or in batches if using a stand blender and return to the pot.
5. Transfer about 1 cup of the soup to a small bowl. Add the miso paste and whisk until smooth. Pour the miso mixture back into the soup pot. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
6. Divide soup into 4 bowls and garnish with scallions and sesame oil. Serve with a side of crispy mushroom crackers.

Crispy Mushroom Crackers

1. Line four sheet trays with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Gently wipe the mushrooms to remove any debris. Do not wash them or introduce any water when cleaning them.
3. With a very sharp knife or a mandolin slice the mushrooms lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices.
4. Divide the mushrooms among the sheet trays and arrange neatly so that none are touching each other.
5. Brush with the melted ghee or avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Flip mushrooms and repeat. Note, if your oven cannot accommodate 4 trays at once, bake in batches and wait to season until right before they go in the oven.
6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, rotating the trays about every 15 minutes. Mushrooms are done when they are browned and crispy. Note, they will not get crispier when removed from the oven, so do not under bake or you will have a chewy bite rather than a crunchy one.