Hello. I am Hamada, a registered dietitian and staff member at Nakayoshi Library.
This week we bring you some delicious soup recipes, perfect for cold days .
How to stay healthy through the winter?
When you feel tired today, you can easily make soup dishes. This recipe is full of seasonal ingredients and packed with nutrients. Please try making it. I will also introduce three points to stay healthy during the cold season.
1. Warm your body and boost your immunity.
In winter, the cold makes the body hunched up, leading to poor circulation, stiff shoulders, and other physical conditions. If you feel tired easily, your body's resistance may be weakened. During this time, it is recommended to be conscious of eating foods that warm the body and stretch after a bath . When blood circulation improves and basal body temperature rises, your immunity also improves .
2. Enjoy seasonal vegetables whole
Many of the nutrients in vegetables are found in the leaves, skin, and parts just below the flesh. Turnips, which are in season now, are also rich in vitamin C and enzymes that aid digestion under their skin. It's a good idea to wash them thoroughly and cook them with the skin on. Soup will warm your body while allowing you to take in all of the dissolved vitamins and other nutrients .
3. Incorporate black ingredients into your diet
This time, I came up with a soup using turnip, a winter vegetable that is gentle on the stomach, white leek, which has antibacterial properties, and ginger, which warms the body. By adding black ingredients (black beans, black sesame, hijiki, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, etc.), which are said to be good to actively incorporate into your diet in the winter, it also helps prevent and combat aging. The soup is also very filling, thanks to the delicious flavor of ground chicken. It will warm your body and soul.
[ Recipe for turnip and minced chicken soy milk soup (serves 2) ]
Ingredients: 2 small turnips, 1/2 a white onion, 60g ground chicken, 2 black wood ear mushrooms (you can use other mushrooms instead!), 2 Chinese cabbage leaves, a piece of ginger, 1 tablespoon chicken bones, ground black sesame seeds, sesame oil (to taste), 300ml water, 200ml unsweetened soy milk
How to make it
1. Put the sesame oil and minced meat in a pot, add 1 teaspoon of sake and a pinch of salt (not included in the recipe), stir and then heat. 2. When the meat starts to change color, add the turnip, followed by white onion, black wood ear mushroom, Chinese cabbage, etc., adjusting the heat as you add the other ingredients. 3. When the whole mixture has softened, add about 50ml of water, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. The moisture and flavor from the vegetables will be extracted, resulting in a delicious soup.
4. After about 5 minutes, add 250ml of water and simmer, skimming off the scum from time to time. When the turnip becomes translucent, add the turnip stems, chicken stock and ginger and bring to a boil.
5. Taste the mixture and add 200ml of soy milk. Since you are adding soy milk, it is recommended to make it a little thicker. After adding the soy milk, heat it over low heat without boiling, and add a drop of sesame oil. This is it!
* Adding soy milk gives it a gentle flavor *
When you eat it, add black ground sesame seeds, which are rich in antioxidants . The aroma of ginger and the delicious flavors of chicken and vegetables will warm you up. If you make a large amount and have any delicious soup left over, it's also delicious as porridge.
The cold season is just beginning. I hope to be able to introduce some easy and nutritious soup recipes again. I hope you all stay healthy and warm.
See you next time ^^
