Are there people out there who're going about not liking miso? I can't imagine it. An absurd notion, for sure. Red miso is my favorite because it's the most misoy of all the misos. Why even bother with mellow yellow or boring white miso when you can have bold and radical red miso? I'm just a miso extremist I guess.

This is an umami laden soup that's hearty enough for a meal. A miso-tahini broth stocked with butternut squash and yam, that's swimming with red quinoa and spinach. Topped with fresh avocado.

Butternut Miso & Quinoa Soup

Serves 4

4 cups water
1 4" piece of kombu (optional)
1 cup frozen cubed butternut squash
1/2 red garnet yam or sweet potato, diced
2 cup cooked red quinoa (I make lots and freeze it)
handful of spinach, chopped
3 Tbsp. red miso
2-4 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 avocado, diced
fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
sesame seeds, for garnish

In a medium soup pot, bring the water, kombu, squash, and yam to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes over low, until the squash and sweet potato are tender.

Add in the quinoa and the spinach. Cook for an additional few minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool a minute or two.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add about 1/2 cup of the soup water. Whisk in the miso until smooth. Add the thinned miso to the soup pot.

Repeat with the tahini.

Add in the vinegar and the avocado. At this point you can remove the kombu and discard it, but better yet mince it up and add it back to the soup!

Serve hot and topped with fresh basil and sesame seeds.

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