One pot, one serving, and one hundred percent delicious! It also only takes 10 minutes to make, so you have no excuse to not make this! So easy and so nourishing, this is a recipe you'll want to keep in rotation, especially when it's a bit chilly out. During the menstrual phase of your cycle, you want to make nutrients as accessible as possible for your body to absorb - and soup is a great way to do that.
This recipe is perfect for the menstrual phase using kale, miso, and soba noodles. During your menstrual phase, you want to focus on warm, comforting cooking methods to warm up your uterus. From the nutrition side, you want to stock up on micronutrients that are the building blocks of blood. Your hormones are at their lowest levels and energy is low, so keep your blood sugar steady with low GI foods.
Soba Noodles are used in this recipe because they're high in protein, filling, and won't spike your blood sugar. Made out of buckwheat, one of my favorite superfoods, it's loaded with antioxidants, is high in fiber, and may aid blood sugar management. It is also packed with iron which is important to replenish while you bleed!
Miso is a phytoestrogen, as most soy-based products are, which means it mimics the effects of estrogen in our bodies. During menstrual, this is great as it can help boost mood and energy - but try to avoid soy in the later phases to ensure your body is effectively flushing out excess estrogen.
Kale is high in vitamin E which helps flush out estrogen and is an antioxidant that calms inflammation. I typically prefer to cook it because otherwise it contains goitrogens (which suppress thyroid function) and can contribute to PCOS. Vitamin E also contributes to healthy progesterone levels, which is important at this time of your cycle.
Single-Serving Miso Soup
Serves: 1 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 tbsp miso paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 ounces soba noodles
1/4 cup kale, chopped
3 ounces firm tofu, cubed
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
Handful of cilantro to serve
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Process
Whisk miso until smooth with a little hot water so it won't clump in the pot.
Bring vegetable broth, miso, grated ginger, and garlic powder to a boil, in a small pot.
Once boiling, add in soba noodles, kale, tofu, and green onions into the pot and cook until the soba noodles are fully cooked. May differ according to instructions on the package, but it should take around 7 minutes.
Serve with cilantro and some red pepper flakes.
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