10-Minute High-Protein Longevity Miso Bowl that tastes delicious raw or cooked. A crunchy mixture of kale, cabbage, and edamame with an anti-aging miso sauce. Packed with protein and fiber. Gluten-free.
This miso salad bowl goes both ways! You can roast the veggies for a cooked salad, or chop everything in a food processor for a 10-minute raw crunch salad. Then marinate the salad in the tangy miso sauce. Meal prep a large weekly batch and serve it with quinoa, farro, or soba noodles.
Made with all healthful and flavorful ingredients, this easy miso bowl will satisfy your daily veggie requirements and taste buds.
The 5-ingredient miso sauce, made with anti-aging ingredients, is perfect for warm and cold dishes. The sauce does not get heated, preserving the benefits of fermented miso.
This Miso Bowl recipe was inspired by my anti-aging Strawberry Kale Salad, as well as this Healthy Thai Crunch Salad.
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👩🏼🌾Ingredients
For the salad:
- Sesame seeds contain anti-inflammatory sesamin which may help reduce blood pressure, improve osteoarthritic symptoms, and may lower LDL cholesterol.
- Red cabbage has about eight times more antioxidants than green. Red cabbage's purple color comes from anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that acts as an antioxidant. This study showed that red cabbage has a life-prolonging effect.
- Peanuts, a legume, are a great source of protein and fiber.
- Soba noodles (optional) are gluten-free and made from buckwheat. Buckwheat is a good source of nutrients, bioactive components, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Try soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat with no added salt.
- Optional spices (sumac, garlic powder, onion powder, salt-free seasoning)
See the recipe card for quantities.
For the miso sauce:
- Mellow or white miso - The evidence that chronic high salt intake can lead to a gradual increase in blood pressure throughout life is clear and consistent. However, salting foods with miso may not have the same detrimental effect. That's why I love this healthy miso dressing packed with umami. I serve this miso sauce at room temperature to maximize its health benefits as a fermented food. (However, we now know from research that good bacteria can still have benefits even when deliberately inactivated by heat! So if you heat the sauce, you will still get some benefits!)
- Optional longevity spices: Long Pepper: Contains the anti-aging compound piperlongumine. Black Cumin Seeds: May improve weight loss, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar control.
🥑 Substitutions
- Avocado - add avocado to the raw version of this miso bowl for serving
- Edamame - use chickpeas instead as desired
- Spices - onion powder, garlic powder, and sumac, are option but recommended for more depth of flavor
- Cilantro - substitute with fresh mint, basil, parsley, or a mixture of fresh herbs
- Grain - serve with soba noodles, vermicelli noodles, or ¾ cup cooked quinoa, kamut, barley, or farro
- Optional longevity spices - add ¼ teaspoon long pepper and ½ teaspoon ground black cumin seeds to the dressing (longevity goods link)
For more healthy salads, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
🥬 How to Make Raw Miso Bowl
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
- Chop the kale in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Chop the cabbage in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the kale.
- Make the dressing. Add the miso, tamari, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and maple syrup to a jar with a lid. Cover and shake vigorously. Or whisk.
- Mix the salad ingredients with the dressing. Set aside for at least 20 minutes to marinate (optional).
📖 How to Make Cooked Miso Bowl
Follow the recipe for the raw version, but roast the cabbage, kale, and edamame. Cook the noodles or a grain of your choice.
- Bake the cabbage at 380ºF for 10 minutes. Add the mustard powder after baking and toss to coat.
- Bake the kale with the cabbage at 380ºF for 10 minutes. Add the mustard powder after baking and toss to coat.
- Roast the edamame: Toss the edamame with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, sumac, and salt-free seasoning. Bake with the veggies.
- Cook the soba noodles (if using) according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Use a spider or sieve to transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold tap water.
- Combine the dressing and salad ingredients. Mix well. Serve with noodles or a grain of your choice.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Marinate the raw salad in the dressing for at least 20 minutes for more flavor. (Optional but recommended.)
- For soba noodles (if using): Cook them for serving. Add them to the salad right before serving or top them with salad. Do not refrigerate the remaining noodles mixed into the salad as they become soggy.
- Alternative grains: Instead of soba, serve the miso salad with vermicelli noodles, or ¾ cup cooked quinoa, kamut, barley, or farro for a complete meal.
- Storage: Refrigerate raw chopped miso salad, or the cooked salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store the grain separately.
🌡️ How to Preserve the Anti-Cancer Properties of Cooked Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables contain the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane. It is produced by the reaction between glucoraphanin (a glucosinolate) and the enzyme myrosinase. However, this enzyme is destroyed by heat. Adding an active source of myrosinase, such as mustard seed powder, to the cooked cruciferous veggies can increase the release of sulforaphane. Or, you can chop them 40 minutes before cooking, giving the enzyme time to make sulforaphane. (Sulforaphane and glucoraphanin are not heat-sensitive.)
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Red cabbage contains a pigment called anthocyanin that changes color when mixed with an acid or a base. When you sauté or roast red cabbage, the acids evaporate and it can turn blue. Adding lemon juice or vinegar brings back the bright red color but reduces the sulforaphane content, which we do not want to do!
Note: Adding an acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to raw cruciferous vegetables can boost sulforaphane.
Edamame are young soybeans still in their pods. For this recipe, I use frozen shelled edamame to save time. Like other soy foods, including tempeh, tofu, soymilk, and miso, edamame is high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, plant-based protein, and zinc.
Soy appears to lower breast cancer risk, from its anti-estrogenic effect, but can also help reduce menopausal hot-flash symptoms, a pro-estrogenic effect. Moreover, soy protein does not seem to exert extra stress on the kidneys, unlike meat protein.
Soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat require some care when cooking to prevent a mushy mass from forming. Add the noodles to a large saucepan of boiling water and stir them immediately. Simmer them for the time specified on the packet, or until al dente. You will need to stir them frequently to prevent them from sticking and taste one to know when they are done cooking. Prepare a large bowl of cool tap water and transfer the noodles to the bowl, using a spider or sieve, once they are cooked.
🍽️ Related Recipes
🫙 More Dressings
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I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Miso Bowl (High-Protein)
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Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale (about 4 packed cups chopped)
- ½ medium red cabbage (about 4 packed cups chopped)
- 10 ounces shelled frozen edamame
- Drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- ¾ teaspoon sumac optional
- ½ teaspoon salt-free seasoning or salt to taste
- 3 scallions thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley, mint, or basil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ cup unsalted peanuts roughly chopped (optional)
For the miso sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoons white miso or mellow miso
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (preferably reduced sodium)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ inches ginger minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or date syrup (or to taste)
Optional for serving:
- 8 ounces soba noodles or vermicelli noodles, quinoa, farro, or kamut (see notes)
Instructions
For the raw salad:
- Chop: Chop the kale and cabbage in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Combine: Add the edamame, garlic powder, onion powder, sumac, scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds, and peanuts.
For the cooked salad:
- Bake veggies: Chop the cabbage and kale into about 2-inch pieces. Transfer them to a large nonstick baking sheet. Add a drizzle of lemon juice or olive oil, plus salt-free seasoning (or salt) to taste. Roast them at 380ºF for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
- Roast edamame: Transfer the edamame to a large baking sheet. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, sumac, and salt-free seasoning. Bake with the veggies. Once the veggies are done baking, increase the oven temperature to 400ºF and continue roasting the edamame until golden brown (about 20 minutes total baking time).
For the dressing:
- Combine the miso, tamari, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and maple syrup into a jar with a lid. Cover and shake vigorously. Or whisk the ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the desired amount of dressing to the salad. For the raw salad, it is best to let the salad marinate in the dressing for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Optional for serving:
- Serve with a grain. Add the cooked noodles, quinoa, farro, or a grain of your choice.
Notes
- Longevity spices - Add ¼ teaspoon long pepper and ½ teaspoon ground black cumin seeds to the dressing (longevity goods link).
- Marinate the raw miso salad in the dressing for at least 20 minutes for more flavor.
- For soba noodles (if using): Cook them according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Add them to the salad right before serving or top them with salad. Do not refrigerate the remaining noodles mixed into the salad as they become soggy.
- Alternative grains: Instead of soba, serve the salad with vermicelli noodles, or ¾ cup cooked quinoa, kamut, barley, or farro for a complete meal.
- Nutrition facts are for the salad and do not include noodles or grains.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Juliette says
I've been making this recipe for six weeks in a row now. I add a block of raw tofu to it, and it soaks up the flavor of the dressing. Towards the end of the week, the tofu kinda melts in your mouth. I don't even measure things anymore (except only slightly for the dressing).
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Great idea to add the tofu! Thank you for sharing.
Alex Birt says
Loved this dish! Very easy to make and delicious meal with high protein. I added mushrooms and some of the grated tofu recipe for a bit more protein as I am strength training 💪🏽
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love these additions! I combine proteins a lot too!
Brian Walters says
Recipes are Amazing! This ladys work is a GREAT service to humanity. You will feel so much better and energized by going whole food plant based. There are many myths about diet being spread, particularly around meat and dairy. This is coming from someone who prioritized meat for protein, for years. Someone who has tried many diets. Someone who wouldn’t be considered unhealthy. You actually feel better and have more energy on a HIGH Carb, whole food plant based diet. You WILL not get weaker… all the while losing body fat and weight!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your kind words. I certainly feel very energized on a whole food plant-based diet too!
eliza says
it is delicious. I didn't have kale, but I used baby spinach. thank you for this recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Emma says
I just made this and had to leave my family dinner to write this review. This salad is so delicious. It’s filling and satisfying but light, crunchy and colorful. Thank you for sharing this!! Making the tofu bolognese tomorrow. Love this website and your recipes!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Makes my day to read this. Thank you for taking the time from your meal to let me know!
in2insight says
The star of this awesome salad is the dressing. So good!
Ended up adding some cooked quinoa which worked well. Next time will make 1.5 of the dressing when using grains.
Thanks for sharing!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
The more dressing the better! Thanks for sharing. Love it with quinoa.
ember says
Love love this recipe! My husband and I have been eating for lunch this week. We made all the components separately and add them all together in the AM for lunch. Super easy meal prep. Opted for the raw version, added quinoa, avocado and mandarin slices for some extra bulk and cals. Thanks for this recipe!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm really happy to read that you are enjoying this healthy bowl! Thank you.
Polina says
Hi, Nisha!
It’s very delicious dish! Thank you! I did it in a cooked version, cause my and my husbands stomachs a little sensitive. I steamed red cabbage and kale in a skillet, boiled edamame with soba and add peanut butter and more syrup to the sauce.
Ps: love pretty much all of your recipes!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi and thank you! I love both! The cooked is my partner's preferred version too. So glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Ellen K Michel says
I made the cooked version and so appreciate the information about preserving the anti-cancer properties of the kale and red cabbage. We ate this with a side of cooked barley, and I added a few dried unsweetened cranberries to sweeten it a bit. This, like all of the CFP recipes I have tried, is delicious. We really liked the peanut, cilantro, and green onion toppings, too. Thank you for creating such beautiful dishes and provided the nutritional information that so many other recipes lack.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your lovely comment. I am so happy you are enjoying these healthful meals.
Candace says
This is a fast, easy recipe with great flavor. I tried the raw version for a light summer meal. The miso dressing is the starry of the yummy combination of ingredients. A big hit in my house. Thank you for such easy creative healthy meal ideas.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear. Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great weekend.
Amy says
I made this recipe and boy was it delicious! I included the black cumin and served it with purple barley.
I have badly arthritic hands, which is how I found your site to begin with. The prep is tough on my hands, but I have no deadlines in life, so I just do a little at a time. And since I've had gastric sleeve surgery, this recipe lasts a good, long time. I even had enough to share a bit with my omnivore hubby. 😏
Thank you, Miss Nisha, for all the work you put into making this healthy deliciousness!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Brought tears to me eyes reading your comment. Thank you for sharing your story. Meal prep is a meditation!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I must try purple barley!
Jennifer says
Wow! What a fantastic recipe! All my favorite ingredients and plenty of leftovers for future meals. I only had green cabbage, not purple so I added some finely diced red, yellow, and orange peppers to give it a pop of color. We did the uncooked version and had it with buckwheat soba noodles and added some avocado and teriyaki tofu to serve. Just fantastic. Thanks for your great content, beautiful photography, and helpful nutrition information.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you do much for your lovely comment. Makes my day to know you like my photography:) Have a fabulous week.