Miso Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dashi Broth*

  • 1 strip kombu kelp, about 5” long
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 1¼ cups katsuo (bonito) flakes

Special Equipment

  • damp cloth
  • fine-mesh strainer
  • cheesecloth or paper towel

Miso Soup

  • 3 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 4 cups Dashi Broth*
  • 2-3 tbsp white (shiro) miso
  • ½ block (8 oz) soft tofu, cut into ½” cubes
  • whites of 1 scallion stalk, thinly-sliced

How-to

Make Dashi Broth

  1. Wipe kombu with a damp cloth
  2. Add water and kombu to a medium-sized pan.  Let the kombu sit in the cold water for 20 minutes
  3. Bring water and kombu to a boil. Remove kombu just as water starts to boil (either discard or save to use for another recipe or application)
  4. Toss the bonito flakes into the boiling water, then turn off the heat. Let the flakes sit for 2 minutes (the flakes will sink to the bottom)
  5. Set a tightly-woven mesh strainer over a mixing bowl.  Line the strainer with cheesecloth or a paper towel.  Pour the stock through the strainer. Stock keeps for 3-5 days in the refrigerator

Note: The used fish flakes and kombu can be reserved for niban dashi (“number two” dashi; a weaker version)

Prepare Miso Soup

  1. In a large bowl add the wakame and water. Set aside for 10 minutes or until the seaweed is softened. Drain the seaweed. Rinse with cold water and coarsely chop. Set aside
  2. Bring the Dashi Broth* to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, about 3 minutes
  3. Place the miso in a ladle.  Submerge the ladle about one-third of the way into the hot dashi. With a pair of chopsticks or spoon, dilute the miso, little by little into the dashi until the miso is completely dissolved into the soup
  4. Add the tofu and seaweed and heat for about 5 minutes over low
  5. Turn off the heat.  Ladle into individual bowls and garnish each with scallion whites. Serve immediately