Nourishing Salmon & Vegetable White Miso Stew

This Salmon & Vegetable White Miso Stew is one of my go-to meals when I’m feeling a bit bloated or sluggish. It’s light, nourishing, and gentle on the stomach, just what I need to reset. I especially enjoy using Japanese turnips, which contain the digestive enzyme amylase and always leave me feeling refreshed. I chose white miso for its naturally mild, delicate flavor—it's fermented for a shorter time than darker miso, making it a perfect base for a gentle detox dish.

Salmon & Vegetable White Miso Stew

Japanese Turnips

Ingredients

<Serves: 6-8>

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lb wild-caught salmon, cut into 1.5–2 inch chunks

5-inch piece of leek, thinly sliced (you can use green onions instead)

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 large head cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets (about 3 cups)

3 small Hakurei (Japanese) turnips with greens, halved; leaves coarsely chopped

1 small zucchini, diced

3 small sweet peppers (orange, yellow, or red), diced

5 cups water (add a piece of kombu kelp if you like)

1/4 cup (approx. 60g) white miso, dissolved in the soup using a ladle(or your preferred miso)

2 tbsp olive oil

Optional: Nori seaweed for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and salmon, cooking for about 5 minutes until the salmon is slightly golden.

   
   

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, then stir in the leek, celery, cauliflower, turnips, zucchini, and peppers. Cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables begin to soften.

Salmon & Vegetable White Miso Stew

3. Add 5 cups of water (and kombu kelp, if using). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

   
   

4. Turn off the heat. Using a ladle, dissolve the white miso in some of the soup liquid, then gently stir it back into the pot. Turn the heat back on briefly but do not let the soup boil once the miso is added, to preserve its beneficial enzymes.

   
   

5. Serve hot, garnished with nori seaweed or a touch of shichimi togarashi if desired.

Posted on May 30th, 2019