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Page 374
Soups
Making soup is a wonderful thing to do. As a soup simmers, it fills your home with aromas that stimulate the appetite. Long regarded as basic sustenance, soup seems to bring out the best of each ingredient as the combination of vegetables and herbs blend their nutrients and flavors into a satisfying and hearty meal. Soup is easy to make, economical, and, especially for someone who is ill, an excellent way to take nourishment that is easily digestible.
Seasonal vegetables and herbs can combine to yield delicious health-enhancing brews from mild broths to thick, strongly flavored soups; the addition of beans can result in a hearty meal in and of itself. Included here are a few of our favorites, but don't hesitate to try different combinations, using ingredients you may have on hand. Soup making is an area where experimentation and resourcefulness can produce surprisingly good results.
Immune-Strengthening Soup
Sauté:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
½ to 1 cup cubed tofu
1 chopped onion2 cups chopped vegetables of choice (carrots, celery, beet greens, cabbage, kale, daikon, lotus root, turnips, etc.)
3 to 5 sticks astragalus
3 to 5 cloves garlic
2 to 3 pieces burdock1 cup chopped mushrooms of choice (shiitake, cordyceps, etc.)
1 piece ginger½ cup wakame or kombu (seaweed)
1 to 2 reishi mushrooms, crumbled

Add:
8 cups spring or purified water
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Whisk:
2 to 3 tablespoons miso into small amount of soup stock and add to soup
Do not boil soup after miso is added.

 
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