All About Miso Paste

The Newsy Neighbour
October Issue 108
by Kathryn Hartwell

MISO PASTE

One of my favourite parts of going to a Japanese restaurant, besides the sushi, is starting my meal with a nice hot bowl of miso soup. I happened to be in the grocery store the other day and noticed a nice big container of miso paste and was overjoyed, but after buying the largest container available, I soon learned that most recipes call for a couple tablespoons, at most. I had more miso than I knew what to do with, but I refused to let it get lost in the depths of the refrigerator. Instead, I went on a mission to find ways (both obvious and totally unexpected) to incorporate miso paste into everyday meals. 

5 Everyday Ways to Use Miso Paste

1. Salad Dressing - Salad has never tasted so good! Add depth of flavour to your dressing or vinaigrette by whisking in a small spoonful of miso paste. 

2. Roasted Vegetables - Give roasted vegetables an unexpected, and completely delicious twist by tossing them with some miso paste before putting them in the oven. 

3. Marinade - Miso is such a great addition to marinades. You can use it with meat, fish, or vegetables, and this umami-rich paste creates a marinade that's well seasoned, deeply flavourful and totally irresistible. 

4. Miso Butter - Perhaps you've made compound butter using fresh herbs, or even summer berries, but have you ever tried miso compound butter? This savoury-salty mix adds depth of flavour, and makes a nice topping on everything from meat and fish to vegetables. 

5. Pan Sauce - A simple pan sauce has a wonderful way of making home-cooked meat feel restaurant-worthy, while being amazingly easy to make. Add even richer flavour to your next pan sauce by whisking in a small spoonful of miso paste. 

Miso is actually made from soy beans. Soy miso is a very good source of manganese and copper as well as a good source of zinc (all three are important mineral antioxidants). It is also a very good source of the mineral phosphorus, as well as a good source of protein and dietary fibre. In addition to these conventional nutrients, soy miso is also an important source of phytonutrient antioxidants including phenolic acids like ferulic, coumaric, syringic, vanillic, and kojic acid.

Kathryn Hartwell
References: whfoods and thekitchn.com