Sweet & Sour Thai Soup

This soup is a quick and tasty fix that can be made under twenty minutes with whatever veggies you have on hand. The only special ingredient that it needs is red miso paste.
Miso is a traditional Japanese food usually used in soups. Its an enzyme rich probiotic paste made by fermenting grains such as soybean mixed in with some barley or rice. There are typically three most common kinds of Miso - white, yellow and red. The darker the color of the miso the stronger it will taste and the longer it has been fermented. Miso is a great source of protein along with iron calcium and Vitamin B.

I made this soup when I was fighting off a nasty cold this past week - apart from helping me with the cold, I loved its different flavors - hot, sweet, savory

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped veggies of choice (I used - onions, zucchini, carrots, purple cabbage, mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon red miso* (This is the brand I use)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 garlic - crushed/diced
• 1/2 stalk of Lemon grass (optional)
• 1 tsp ginger - grated
• Chilli suce (optional)
• salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add the onions - let them saute them for a minute.
2. Add the ginger and garlic and follow it with the rest of the vegetables (all chopped into bite sized pieces) and let them cook for a bit - about 5 minutes
3. Add lemon grass stalk (if using) then add 2-3 cups of water and let it boil till your veggies are cooked to your liking.
4. Add salt, lime juice, agave and red miso paste - adjust the seasoning to your taste. I like mine a bit bold so I added a little bit more of lime juice and agave. You can also add Sriracha or any other chilli paste if you want it to be spicy. 

*NOTE: Do not allow miso to boil - just add some hot water to make a thin paste and add it in the end once your soup is ready.