Really Good For You Soup

I christen thee "If this soup does not cure what ails ya, I don't know what will."
I made this soup chock full of good for you ingredients last night and everybody loved it. Plus I was feeling stuffy, groggy and like I might be getting the crud again last night and now I feel fine. Weather I feel better because of the soup, a good night's sleep or the decongestant is up for debate, but I think all 3 have a good effect on the stuffy olfactory area.

So here you go... Really Good For You Soup.

• 1/2 stalk of Burdock Root (get this at the Asian Market like Super H) 
• 1 package of Shiitake Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 head of Swiss Chard, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 moons
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 tablespoon of white miso
• 1 sheet of dried seaweed (or any other sea veggie) 
• 1 box of veggie broth
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• Cilantro or Basil to garnish
• Dash of Siracha (rooster sauce) if you want a kick

Wash, scrub and peel the burdock root. This stuff is dirty - as it should be - it's a root, however it is worth it because this is the ingredient that makes this soup SUPER HEALTHY. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, detoxifier and it boosts your immune system to new heights. I like cooking with Asian ingredients, it seems like they have a good handle on the good for you, don't get cancer, live a long and healthy life food choices. Regarding your taste buds, burdock root reminds me of jimica or a bland carrot as in it really does not have much flavor but a good bit of crunch.
Anyway... I digress...
So now chop your peeled burdock root into small pieces. Put about a teaspoon of olive or veg oil into a stock pot. Saute the onions, burdock and garlic. Cook until the onions are really tender and take care not to burn the garlic. Throw in the swiss chard and mushrooms. Let this mixture steam up for about 5 minutes. Stir it all around and let it get happy. Next pour in a box of ORGANIC veggie broth. Put the sheet of seaweed on top and let it get soggy.  Cover and cook this mixture for 30 - 45 minutes.  The seaweed will break up in the soup as it cooks. About 5 minutes before serving add a tablespoon of miso. Stir it in well.
Serve with your preferred garnish - either basil or cilantro and add a dash of Siracha if you want a little kick.
As I was eating this last night I thought that the soup could deal with a hot pepper - so I may try that next time. Otherwise - it was delicious and hearty.
Enjoy and eat well!
Namaste,
Heather