Daikon to ika no misoni / daikon radish and calamari simmered in miso-flavored broth

The humble daikon takes on the flavor of calamari, becoming something gentle yet deeply aromatic. This is my mom's kind of dish, which I grow to like as I get older. While miso paste typically is the only main seasoning, modifying the dish to reduce sodium content by partially replacing miso with sakekasu sake lees, kurozu brown rice vinegar and shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt successfully results in a pleasantly mild flavor that lets you unwind after a busy day. If a bit of extra flavor is wanted, add grated ginger for a zesty punch or taka no tsume red chili pepper for picante heat.

1/2 of recipe:
125 calories; 12.2 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 11.4 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 163 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Ebi to kabu no misoshiru / miso soup with shrimp and Japanese turnip

This very gentle yet full-flavored miso soup features our local coon shrimp -- baby-size botan ebi spot shrimp -- and kabu turnip. Sweet Saikyo white miso is used for maximum tenderness, which is countered by the nostril-clearing sensation of karashi mustard.

1/2 of recipe:
73 calories; 8.2 g protein; 1.0 g fat; 4.8 g carbohydrate; 3.5 g net carbs; 338 mg sodium; 46 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber; 287 mg potassium

Koyadofu to warabi no misoshiru / miso soup with freeze-dried tofu and bracken

Spongy rehydrated freeze-dried tofu absorbs the delicious flavor medley of the soup, which is released into your mouth as you bite or chew pieces of koyadofu. Its resilient texture contrasts well with succulent warabi bracken. Pale young stems of myoga are sliced for an invigorating garnish for this low-key miso soup.

1/2 of recipe:
64 calories; 5.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 2.9 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 181 mg potassium

Kabocha-dofu no akadashi / Japanese pumpkin tofu with red miso soup

A variation of gomadofu [sesame tofu] featuring kabocha pumpkin. Among the many ways to enjoy this creamy tofu, serving it with blanched kabu Japanese turnip leaves and pungent karashi mustard in red miso soup is my favorite. Kabu leaves retain their spiciness even after blanching, and together with karashi mustard they create an interesting spark in your mouth when paired with mild and sweet kabocha. This dish alone is quite small and is more suitable for a very light meal or as part of a course-type meal.

1/2 of kabocha-dofu no akadashi recipe:
45 calories; 1.6 g protein; 1.0 g fat; 7.8 g carbohydrate; 6.5 g net carbs; 109 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Kabocha-dofu only (1/6 of kabocha-dofu recipe):
35 calories; 0.7 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 6.5 g carbohydrate; 5.5 g net carbs; 8 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Nasu to myoga no misoshiru / miso soup with eggplant and Japanese ginger buds

A summery pairing of eggplant and myoga ginger buds! Eggplant goes really well with miso. In this soup, fresh myoga gives a zesty punch. Eggplant skin tends to become dull when cooked in soup; add eggplant while dashi is vigorously boiling to retain its beautiful purple tone.

1/2 of recipe: 
30 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 3.4 g net carbs; 248 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 1 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Tomato to nira no nattojiru / miso soup with fermented soybeans, tomato and garlic chives

A comforting natto soup with a summer twist. Enoki mushrooms deepen the taste while deep-fried tofu makes the soup impressively filling.

1/2 of recipe:
126 calories; 10.1 g protein; 6.2 g fat; 8.0 g carbohydrate; 4.7 g net carbs; 233 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.3 g fiber

Hiyajiru / steamed barley rice with cold sesame-miso soup with cucumber and grilled fish

Literally called "cold soup," this soupy rice dish is a quick meal for hot days in southern Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture. When I first learned about this dish, the description sounded reminiscent of neko manma [lit. cat rice], where you pour miso soup over steamed rice and shovel it in, and at first I was doubtful: Would this actually taste good? Well, there was nothing to do but to try to figure that out. The mixture of miso and sesame paste is first toasted for a deep rich taste, while cucumber, shiso leaves and ginger contribute to a refreshing aftertaste. When the soup is prepared in the cool of the morning, the rest is quite easy and fast. While cucumber is available all year around nowadays, in oriental medicine it is known for cooling down your body -- a very appropriate vegetable for the dog days of summer.
This is another great choice when having little appetite on hot days!

1/2 of recipe, served with 120 g steamed barley rice:
370 calories; 26.8 g protein; 8.8 g fat; 45.2 g carbohydrate; 40.9 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 4.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe, soup only:
209 calories; 24.0 g protein; 8.3 g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 7.0 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Nattojiru / miso soup with fermented soybeans

A stew-like miso soup featuring natto. Natto's distinctive aroma softens after simmering for some time, and this is a good introductory dish for those who are not familiar with the ingredient. Great for chilly or cool days, as the soup warms your body. 

104 calories (1/2 of recipe); 8.8 g protein; 5.2 g fat; 5.4 g carbohydrate; 3.3 g net carbs; 261 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Maitake to warabi no gorugonzoora pasta / pasta with hen of the woods mushrooms and bracken in gorgonzola sauce

Crunchy maitake is a nice addition to rich gorgonzola sauce for pasta. A vegetable in season -- warabi this time -- takes away the heavy note of the cheese sauce, which is also lightened by replacing the typical heavy cream with a combination of soy milk and sakekasu sake lees.
Since the sauce cooks fast once you add the soy milk and gorgonzola mixture, start cooking pasta before starting to saute maitake and warabi for the sauce.

548 calories (1/2 of recipe); 21.6 g protein; 24.2 g fat; 59.8 g carbohydrate; 54.2 g net carbs; 234 mg sodium; 30 mg cholesterol; 5.6 g fiber

Karifurawaa to satoimo, daikon, seri no surinagashi / cauliflower, baby taro root and daikon radish white miso potage soup with water dropwort

A soothing Japanese-style potage soup featuring in-season white vegetables. Seri's soft bitterness and refreshing aroma provide a contrasting accent.

50 calories (1/2 of recipe); 2.9 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 9.0 g carbohydrate; 6.7 g net carbs; 194 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.3 g fiber

Tonyu miso nikomi udon / hot-pot udon wheat noodles in red miso and soy milk broth

A personal-size, sizzling hot pot with udon for cold days. The combination of aka miso and soy milk makes this a mild yet deep and satisfying dish. As it is individually cooked in a small clay pot, goody choices can easily be personalized. Even better, each pot can be prepared at a different time -- when noodles, soup and goodies are prepped and ready for assembly, everyone gets to enjoy hot pot simmered just for them, which is perfect for busy days when family members are on different schedules. This dish warms you up from the inside, but you still need to be careful not to burn your mouth!

With 80 g dried udon wheat noodles per serving:
529 calories (1/2 of recipe); 26.8 g protein; 13.3 g fat; 75.4 g carbohydrate; 67.2 g net carbs; 723 mg sodium (with shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 214 mg cholesterol; 8.2 g fiber

Sakekasu okara pan / sake lees soy rolls

Small rolls featuring double soy -- okara soybean pulp and soy flour. These sake lees rolls taste great with savory dishes. Sakekasu's aroma works as a great accent to meals. Low in net carbs and sodium, these are a great option to balance your overall diet on routine basis. And thanks to the high fiber content, one roll can be quite filling.

Whole recipe (6 rolls):
983 calories; 81.5 g protein; 47.9 g fat; 62.9 g carbohydrate; 28.6 g net carbs; 395 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 28.1 g fiber

1 roll:
164 calories; 13.6 g protein; 8.0 g fat; 10.5 g carbohydrate; 4.8 g net carbs; 66 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 4.7 g fiber

Satoimo to shungiku, age no tonyu misoshiru / soy milk miso soup with baby taro root, garland chrysanthemum and thin deep-fried tofu

The distinctive aroma and taste of garland chrysanthemum are the perfect counterpoints in this mild, somewhat creamy soup featuring baby taro root. Very nice and warming on cool days.

1/2 of recipe:
96 calories; 5.4 g protein; 3.3 g fat; 9.8 g carbohydrate; 7.8 g net carbs; 199 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Itokoni / root vegetables and azuki beans simmered in broth

While itokoni is not very different from my usual root vegetables miso soup, it does offer something new -- azuki beans. Itokoni made with root vegetables, konnyaku yam cake and usuage thin deep-fried tofu or atsuage deep-fried tofu is a regional dish from Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata prefectures. My aunt who lives in Namerikawa in Toyama brought us a pot of itokoni one day in late fall, and that was when I first discovered the magic of azuki beans, which make an ordinary soup slightly starchy and subtly mellow. As a young child, I did not really like soy sauce- or miso-tinted brownish simmered dishes; they all looked so unappealing and almost discouraging to eat, but Auntie Namerikawa's itokoni really grabbed my heart, and I begged her to bring us itokoni again and again. The recipe below tastes just like her itokoni.

1/2 of recipe:
141 calories; 7.7 g protein; 2.7 g fat; 21.6 g carbohydrate; 12.9 g net carbs; 238 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 300+ mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 8.7 g fiber

Kinoko to tofu no misoshiru / miso soup with mushrooms and tofu

When a light yet satisfying miso soup is desired, try the deep, aromatic taste of an assortment of mushrooms and awase miso, a mixture of red and white miso. Throw in some soft tofu to make the soup more substantial and a dash of shichimi pepper at the end to enhance the overall aroma.

1/2 of recipe:
67 calories; 6.4 g protein; 2.6 g fat; 7.1 g carbohydrate; 4.0 g net carbs; 242 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber  

Hayatouri no akadashi / red miso soup with chayote

Juicy chayote with its relatively plain taste makes a great contrast to the strong flavor of akadashi red miso broth.

1/2 of recipe:
31 calories; 2.1 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 4.6 g carbohydrate; 3.6 g net carbs; 245 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Fuki to tofu no akadashi / red miso soup with Japanese butterbur and tofu

This miso soup lets you enjoy the distinctive aroma of fuki. The addition of smooth kinugoshi soft tofu offers a pleasant contrast in textures.

1/2 of recipe:
49 calories; 4.0 g protein; 1.9 g fat; 3.6 g carbohydrate; 2.8 g net carbs;  254 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Konsai no sakekasu misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and sake lees

Hearty, satisfying and warming – and all you have to do is add sakekasu to your everyday miso soup. Aromatic and flavorful, sakekasu also lets you use even less miso than my recent low-sodium recipe for miso soup with yogurt.

1/2 of recipe:
50 calories; 2.3 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 9.0 g carbohydrate; 6.4 g net carbs; 189 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 234 mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Sake no kasuzuke / grilled salmon marinated in sake lees

Aromatic sake lees make a great marinade for all sorts of things including vegetables, seafood and meat. Here is one example with salmon, the classic choice for seafood kasuzuke. When used with shiozake salted salmon, this also works to desalinate the fish while imparting a nice aromatic flavor.

Ishikari-nabe / Ishikari hot pot with salmon, tofu and vegetables

A specialty nabe hot pot from the Ishikari region in Hokkaido. Along with salmon, produce for which Hokkaido is famous -- potatoes, onions and cabbage, and even butter as an option -- are added, making this dish unique.