This is the recipe for traditional miso soup. It includes the recipe for “dashi” (which is the starting point of many Japanese recipes), which is the base of miso soup. There are instant dashi packets out there, but they never taste as good as home made, and are frequently laden with additives such as MSG. Dashi may be frozen for “instant” soup, so do not be put off by the idea of having more than enough dashi if you only want a bowl or two.
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups of dashi Ball of Miso the size of a tennis ball (white miso in warmer weather, 2:1 or 3:1 dark miso to white miso in colder weather) 1/8-1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine) in colder weather
Garnishes:
Tofu cubes, about ¼ to ½ cup per bowl Wakame seaweed, re-hydrated or fresh, around 1 tablespoon per bowl Green onions, finely sliced, 1-2 tablespoons per bowl
METHOD:
Get dashi hot, but not boiling, and whisk miso through a strainer immersed in the broth. (Boiling can kill many of the live nutrients in miso.)
If making the soup in cold weather, add the mirin before adding the miso.
Place the garnishes into bowls and ladle soup over and serve immediately.
Chef’s Notes:
*For vegetarian dashi, double the konbu, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook down by 25%. Add 1 cup cold water and simmer 10-15 minutes more. Remove konbu, and proceed. For more depth of flavor, use a couple types of seaweed, and let it steep over night before heating.
In cold weather, the body craves sweeter and stronger flavors. That is why mirin is added in colder weather, along with the stronger miso. Darker miso is usually saltier, so use less than is called for in the recipe to start. Remember, you can always add more as you go.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
Dashi:
This is a basic for any Japanese kitchen. In fact, dashi plus miso and some shreds of vegetable equals “miso-shiru”, or miso soup. There are various styles of hana-katsuo (dried bonito flakes)-some are smoked or dried over wood fires, others are not. I especially like using the smokey ones for miso soup as the year turns cool. Look for these flakes in Japanese or oriental markets, some “health-food” stores, and better groceries. In Watsonville, look for them at Yamashita Market. You can find them online as well.
INGREDIENTS:
7 cups water 1 3”x6” piece of Konbu, wiped with a damp cloth and scored with a sharp knife or use scissors to make several cuts to the edge Small handful (½ to ¾ C.) Hana-katsuo (Dried bonito flakes)
METHOD:
Place konbu in water and bring to a boil. Boil two minutes and turn off.
Sprinkle bonito flakes into the water. Do not stir. When flakes sink, Dashi (that is the name for this, the basic broth at the root of much of Japanese cookery) is now ready. Strain into clean container.
For vegetarian dashi: Double the konbu, bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and cook down by 25%, add 1 C. cold water and simmer another 10 –15 minutes. Remove konbu.
Dashi will keep 2-3 days in ‘fridge or may be frozen at this point.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
This is a basic, quick method for making dashi. I have made it where I left the konbu in the water for several hours, or overnight, before bringing it to a boil. This provides a deeper flavor and some texture to the broth as the seaweed will thicken the broth somewhat. I have used different seaweeds to add depth of flavor, and I have experimented with different bonito flakes as well.
This is the base of miso soup, and it is used in many other dishes in the Japanese kitchen as well. It appears in simmered meat and seafood dishes as well as in various sauces. Make some and freeze, and never buy instant miso soup again.
Yield: Around 6½ cups
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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