Homemade broth that warms your hands as you cradle the soup bowl is a must in this month of grey (so much grey) and cold. Miso soup has few ingredients: You make the stock (dashi) from kombu (dried kelp) and dried bonito flakes, then add miso – about 10 minutes of work versus the few hours watching chicken stock simmer. It's deep and rich with flavour, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Later, if you want to reheat it or cook vegetables in the soup, don't allow it to boil, as that will kill the live enzymes in the miso. Miso has the added benefit of being a probiotic food; to add more to your diet, you can season salad dressing with miso or use it in marinades. And if you're thinking, "But where do I get this stuff?" the ingredients can be found in the Asian sections of many grocery stores or in health-food shops and Asian markets.