Anti-Inflammatory Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup

This Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup is comforting in the colder months and has many anti-inflammatory qualities to keep you healthy all year long. It’s one of those soups that I love to cook quickly on a weeknight or serve to family and friends on the weekend. It’s a crowd-favorite recipe.

Once the colder months come around, this is my go-to soup recipe. It’s hearty, cozy, and so nourishing. It’s full of immune-boosting vitamins and minerals and also anti-inflammatory qualities.

The base of the Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup is white miso paste which adds so much flavor to the vegetable broth. If you haven’t used miso paste before, it’s a fermented soy bean paste and is extremely rich in probiotics that are ideal for great gut health. It’s both light and decadent and also adds a salty quality that’s addicting to the broth.

We load this soup with vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, kabocha squash, and kale. It truly is so comforting and nourishing after a long run in the park or workout session at the gym. If you want to add a starch, we recommend brown rice or rice noodles like vermicelli. You can even try adding tofu or beans to the soup for some extra protein.

If you love an easy and comforting dinner recipe, we have so many to try! Be sure to try our Butternut Squash Minestrone Soup and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to assemble. This soup takes about 20 minutes to assemble and all of the ingredients are easy to find at the store.
• Customize to your liking. Add your favorite veggies to this soup. We love heartier vegetables and greens like squash, carrots, kale, and bok choy.
• Don’t skip the miso paste! This is essential to building the flavor of the broth. The miso adds a rich umami flavor that’s light yet rich at the same time.

Ingredients

• Sesame oil: Adds a rich warmth to the base of the soup to saute the veggies in.
• Yellow onions: Gives that sweet yet spicy onion flavor.  
• Carrots: Adds a rich, fresh, and almost sweet vegetable quality.
• Fresh ginger: Great anti-inflammatory ingredient that boosts the immune system and adds a zesty, fresh flavor.
• Garlic: Infuses the broth with that garlic flavor we all love.
• Sliced bella mushrooms: Gives a heartiness to the soup.
• White miso paste: The key ingredient, this is fermented bean paste. Look for the white variety in the store for it’s milder flavor. Miso paste packs a punch of umami flavor that truly makes this broth addicting.
• Vegetable stock: The main broth component of the soup.
• Kombu: Seaweed that also helps flavor the broth with a sea-like flavor that compliments the miso and ginger so well. You can use any dried seaweed sheets you find at the store.
• Zucchini: Fresh squash that adds a nice bright flavor in the soup.
• Tuscan kale or spinach: Choose whichever green you like, both are high in vitamin c and great for your immune system.
• Kabocha squash or sweet potato peeled: Adds a sweet, hearty vegetable to the soup. They are high in fiber and also vitamin A and C.

How to Make Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup

1. In a large Dutch oven, add the sesame oil and heat over medium.
2. Add the yellow onion, carrot, ginger, and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until softened and lightly browned, another 7 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the miso paste and cook a minute or so.
5. Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Season again with salt.
6. Once simmering, add the kombu and continue to simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes.
7. During the last 10 minutes, add the zucchini, kale, and kabocha squash and stir to combine. Add more water as needed to cover and simmer until the squash is tender.
8. Season once last time to taste and serve hot.

Expert Tips

• Add the zucchini in at the end. The zucchini cooks very quickly so you don’t need to add it to the soup until the end of cooking.
• Choose your favorite squash. We use kabocha or sweet potato for it’s rich flavor and sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the umami of the miso paste.
• Swap the kombu. If you can’t find kombu easily, you can add a bit of any type of dried seaweed sheets you can find at the store. They will infuse the soup with a salty, sea-like flavor.
• Customize with your favorite veggies and even noodles. You can add whatever veggies you would like to customize the soup. If you want to add noodles we recommend rice noodles like vermicelli.

Storage and Freezing

Let the soup cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until hot, a few minutes.

You can also freeze the soup for up to 2 months. We recommend not adding the greens or zucchini if you plan to freeze this soup. Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the stovetop until hot. Add the greens and zucchini when you are ready to serve.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Butternut Squash Minestrone Soup
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce
• Tofu and Chickpea Brown Rice Bowl
• Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Farro