Japanese Miso Soup Recipe 日本の味噌汁
Bring a piece of Japan into your kitchen and savor the delicious simplicity of homemade miso soup!
Equipment
- 1 Medium pot
- 1 Strainer
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Kombu (dried kelp) about 1 1/2 feet long
- 1 cup Dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
- 1/4 cup Dried wakame (seaweed)
- 3/4 cup Shiro Miso (white miso paste)
- 1/2 lb. Soft silken tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes In our store there were dozens of different tofu but they only had one kind of silken tofi.
- 1/3 cup Thinly sliced green onion (scallions)
- 6 cups Water
Instructions
- To make dashi soup stock, bring six cups of water and kombu to a boil in a pot over high heat. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle bonito flakes over the liquid; let stand for 5 minutes. Pour immediately through a strainer into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, cover the wakame with hot water and let stand for 15 minutes until water has been mostly absorbed. Drain and set aside.
- In another bowl, add miso paste and stir with ½ cups of dashi until smooth. Heat the remaining dashi in a pot over medium-high heat until steaming hot, then add tofu and wakame. Simmer to combine for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in the miso mixture. Please note Miso is fragile and should never be boiled at high temperatures as it can damage its flavor and nutritional benefits.
- Ladle into soup bowls, top with chopped green onions, and serve warm.
Notes
Enoki mushrooms make a lovely addition to the soup. They can be added when you are heating the dashi. Wash well before using, and make sure they are in the heating dashi for at least two minutes. For a Vegan Version of Miso Soup, simply skip the bonito flakes. For a gluten-free version of Miso Soup, look for miso paste made from either buckwheat or rice. There are two main types of miso: white and red. The key differences between red and white miso paste lie in the proportion of soybeans and the duration of fermentation. Red miso has a stronger, saltier, and more complex flavor, along with a thick, grainy texture. It is commonly used in stews, braises, and glazes and pairs well with root vegetables, mushrooms, and meats. In contrast, white miso is ideal for soups, dressings, and marinades.