Chicken Miso Soup

After having visitors with us for a few days, a low calorie day is necessary today. Need I say anymore. However, a low calorie day for me still needs to be tasty, nutritious and not leaving me wanting for more. I have been hearing a lot of chatter recently about the success of the 5:2 diet, regarding weight loss. That is, eat what you want within the healthy range for 5 days, and fast on only 500 calories per day for 2 days, 500 calories for women, and 600 calories for men, and not on consecutive days.

So that we don't feel deprived, and so that if I decide to start taking counting calories seriously, I have modified 3 meals from the Dr. Michael Mosley 5:2 diet good to know website, so that the calorie count legitimately sits within the 500/600 calories range today.

Breakfast was a Spinach Omelette Roll (94 cals) , followed by half a grapefruit. Lunch was Chicken Miso Soup (132 cals), and dinner will be Moroccan Root Tagine with Couscous (238 cals). No cappuccinos today, or white tea, only  hot black beverages, and definitely no cake or sugar, and all things considered we are faring pretty well.

I am pleasantly surprised at how simple to prepare and how delicious this Japanese soup is. It will also be on my list for easy to prepare meals when we start travelling, given that the miso paste, mushrooms, and soy sauce are prepackaged and easy to carry, and the other ingredients can be obtained from a good Farmer's Market wherever we are based.

This recipe is based on a similar one from the fast 800 recipe book by Dr.  Michael Mosley.

Chicken Miso Soup:

• Serves 2
• Calories: 132
• Preparation time: 15 mins
• Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

30 g Japanese miso paste  (or 2 x 15 g sachets)

1 chicken breast, skinned and finely sliced

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Splash of soy sauce

1/2 bunch of fresh spinach, or 1/4 savoy cabbage, or whatever green vegetable is available to you
Substitute chicken with tofu if preferred

Method:

1. Pour 600ml boiling water into a wide solid-based pan and whisk in the miso paste
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the spinach, and simmer for 10 minutes
3. Stir in the spinach, cook for 3 minutes and serve.

Warm wishes

Pauline