Aduki & Squash Soup

This is a macrobiotic-leaning autumn soup that pairs sweet butternut squash with small, earthy adzuki beans, the prized red bean of Japanese cooking. The two flavors balance perfectly: the squash brings sugar and silk while the adzuki bring tannic depth and a meaty bite that no other bean quite delivers.

Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar simmered in adds a surprising fruity tang that lifts the whole pot off the bottom of bland-soup territory. Bay leaves, dried savory, and rosemary build a herbaceous backbone that veers Mediterranean against the Japanese miso.

The miso is the move at the end. Two tablespoons of barley miso dissolved in a quarter cup of broth, then stirred in off the heat, brings a salty, fermented umami that you can’t replicate with regular salt. Critically, never boil the soup after adding miso. High heat kills the live cultures and the flavor goes flat.

Dissolve the miso in a small amount of broth first, never directly into the pot. Stirring it in clumpy gives you streaks of miso bombs in an otherwise smooth soup.

Pro Tips

• Soak the adzuki beans overnight if you have time. They cook faster and more evenly.
• Cube the squash uniformly so it cooks at the same rate as the beans.
• Use barley miso (mugi) for the deepest flavor; white or red miso works but tilts sweeter or saltier.
• A drizzle of toasted sesame oil over each bowl just before serving adds a lovely nutty finish.

Variations

• Stir in 2 cups of cubed firm tofu along with the miso for a more substantial protein boost.
• Add a 1-inch knob of grated ginger when sauteing the onions for a warmer, spicier finish.
• Top each bowl with chopped scallions and a squeeze of fresh lime.