a basic miso soup recipe. often miso soup stock is made with fish flakes, but here's a vegetarian version.
1. soak together for several hours (or overnight, during work, etc.) in a pot:
a 6-inch piece of kombu, sliced into several pieces*
6 shiitake mushrooms, rinsed (optional)
6 c water
2. when you're ready to make the soup, put the pot on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil. just before it boils, remove the kombu and either discard it or use it for something else.
3. boil for a few minutes, then remove the mushrooms and use them for something else. (skip this step if not using mushrooms.)
4. add the following ingredients:
a few cubes of silken tofu
some thinly-sliced scallions
other ingredients of your choosing**
5. remove some of the hot liquid into a bowl, then add to the bowl and mix well:
about 2 T miso (any type you like)
6. return the miso mixture to the pot, stir, and taste. if it needs more miso flavor, add more miso. keep adding more and more miso until it tastes right.
7. when the soup returns to a boil, remove it from the heat and serve.
enjoy!
* kombu ("kun bu" or "hai dai" in mandarin) is a type of kelp, which is a type of seaweed. it is most readily available in the dried form. don't wash it under running water; if there's dirt on it, remove the dirt using a damp cloth or paper towel. the white powder on the outside is natural, normal, and flavorful - so leave it there.
** many different ingredients would work in step 4, either in addition to or instead of the tofu and scallions. here are a few suggestions:
thin strips or squares of sushi nori (the rectangular seaweed used for wrapping sushi)
nori seaweed (the kind that's not pressed into rectangles; called "zi cai" in mandarin)
thin slices of ginger
deep-fried or grilled tofu
slices of daikon or carrot (boiled a little longer in the broth until soft)
thinly sliced leeks
wakame seaweed (called "qun dai cai" in mandarin)
sliced onions
lightly toasted sesame seeds
......
the list goes on and on. for more variations of miso soup, as well as hundreds of recipes using miso in general, i'd highly recommend the classic THE BOOK OF MISO by shurtleff & aoyagi.
return to the veggie asia home page