Black Bean Soup with Miso and Ginger

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped, about ½ cup 
1 medium carrot, chopped, about 1 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon red miso paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
½-inch ginger root cut into thin matchsticks, about 1 tablespoon, optional

Directions

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add onion and carrot and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for a few more minutes.
2. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat. 
3. Strain about ¼ cup of the liquid from the soup into a small bowl or cup. Add miso paste to the stock and mix to combine.
4. Gently stir to incorporate the miso paste until it is dissolved. 
5. Before serving, add  lemon juice to the pan.
6. Adjust the seasoning and mash the soup slightly with a potato masher. This will thicken the soup without compromising the satisfying texture. 
7. Sprinkle soup with chopped cilantro. Serve in bowls and, if desired, add a little fresh ginger.

Cooking Notes

• Miso is a paste prepared from fermented soy beans. It is a staple in Japanese cooking used everywhere from soups to marinades. Red miso paste, used in this recipe, has more texture and a deeper flavor than mellower white miso paste. Do not add miso paste to the soup when it is still cooking or very hot. Heat will kill the live cultures in the paste that may provide health benefits.
• The soup may not need any salt because miso paste is salty.
• Sprinkling fresh ginger on the soup creates additional layer of flavor and adds freshness. However, if fresh ginger tastes too spicy to you, add just a little or omit it altogether. 

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1¼ cup
Serves 4
Calories: 179; Total Fat: 4g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 743mg; Total Carbohydrate: 34g; Dietary Fiber: 11g; Sugars: 6g; Protein: 9g; Potassium: N/A; Phosphorus: N/A