YOGAJOURNAL.COM / 20 / FEBRUARY 2018
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 break-
down of fat (toxins linger longest in fat cells). The slow
cooker uses gentle, moist heat, which is the ideal way
to extract the tea’s healing compounds and infuse its
fl avor into the dish. Another critical component of the
broth is Chinese black vinegar, which is easy to fi nd in
Asian grocery stores and has a deep fl avor that’s
reminiscent of balsamic.2 quarts 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
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cups kale, chopped
6 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Asian sesame oil
6 tbsp fresh cilantro, choppedPut broth, vinegar, and miso paste in a slow cooker and
whisk to combine. Tuck tea bags into broth mixture. Add
mushrooms, kale, scallions, 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 cilantro. Serve immediately.
Chef’s note: To turn this soup into a more fi lling meal,
add 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp or 1 lb cubed chicken
to the slow cooker along with the vegetables.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 220 calories per serving, 2 g protein, 14 g fat
(1 g saturated fat), 20 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 527 mg sodium FROM THE HEALING SLOW COOKERBYJENNIFERISERLOH,PHOTOGRAPHSBYALICEGAO (CHRONICLE^BOOKS, 2017)I
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 eff ort.
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 stuff ed 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 chili 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 peoplea fresh, inspired way to think about their slow cookers.
These meals are not only fl avorful 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.