Australian Yoga Journal - April 2018

41

april 2018

yogajournal.com.au

Green tea–shiitake miso soup SERVES 6

Studies show that the catechins in green tea make it a great detox partner because it helps boost the breakdown of fat (toxins linger longestin
fat cells). The slow cooker uses gentle, moist heat, which is the ideal way to extract the tea’s healing compounds and infuse its flavour intothe
dish. Another critical component of the broth is Chinese black vinegar, which is easy to find in Asian grocery stores and has a deep flavour
that’s reminiscent of balsamic.

INGREDIENTS

2 litres chicken broth, bone broth, or vegetable broth

¼ cup Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp white miso paste

4 green tea bags, tags and strings removed

450 gms shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 cups kale, chopped

6 spring onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp Asian sesame oil

6 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

I FIND COOKING TO BE A SOULFUL,
meaningful practice, but that doesn’t
mean I always want to spend hours in
the kitchen just to enjoy a wholesome
meal. Using a slow cooker is one of
the best ways to enjoy more delicious,
healthy foods with minimal effort.
I love to pop ingredients into my slow
cooker and then go run an errand
or spend an hour on my yoga mat,
knowing that I’ll return to an amazing,
nutrient-dense meal.
One of the fi rst dishes that I made in
a slow cooker with my Granny when I
was a kid was stuffed cabbage. We had

plans to go shopping and couldn’t stay

home to watch a pot bubbling on the

stove. I still love this family recipe, as

well as slow-cooker classics like chilli

or stew, but I’ve since expanded my

repertoire to include creative meal ideas

with unexpected ingredients like fruit

or green tea. For my new book, I wanted

to give people a fresh, inspired way to

think about their slow cookers.

These meals are not only fl avourful

and antioxidant rich, but they are

also adaptogenic, meaning they use

ingredients from a special class of plants

that are considered immune-modulating.

Adaptogens also encourage homeostasis,

or internal balance, in your body. The

more I learn about adaptogens found in

mushrooms, goji berries, and a whole

suite of other foods, the more I want to

cook with them in creative, tasty ways.

Use the recipes on these pages to

preserve the nutrients in whole foods

(a slow-cooker specialty), load up on

medicinal ingredients, and help bring

your body back into balance. For best

results, put the ingredients into your

slow cooker and then spend some time

on your meditation cushion or yoga mat

before you eat.

METHOD

Put broth, vinegar, and miso paste in a slow cooker and whisk to combine.

Tuck tea bags into broth mixture. Add mushrooms, kale, spring onions, and

garlic, and toss with tongs until vegetables are coated in broth. Cover slow

cooker and cook on low until mushrooms and kale are tender, 2–2½ hours.

Discard tea bags.

Spoon soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tsp sesame oil and

1 tbsp coriander. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFO 20 calories/84 kJs per serving, 2 g protein, 14 g fat (1 g saturated

fat), 20 g carbs, 2 g fibre, 527 mg sodium

Chef’s note:

To turn this soup into a more filling meal, add

450 gms peeled, deveined prawns or cubed chicken

to the slow cooker along with the vegetables.