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Japanese: Miso Soup

Source of Recipe


Don Genova






List of Ingredients



• 4 to 5 cups water
  
• 1 pkg. hon dashi (instant Japanese fish soup stock)
  
• 2 to 3 Tbsp white miso, or to taste (use less if it's red miso)
  
• 3 green onions, chopped
  
• 1 pkg. soft tofu
  
• 2 tsp dried wakame seaweed pieces
  
• Mirin (sweet rice wine), or sherry, if unavailable
  
• Soy sauce
  
• Shichimi (7-spice powder)
  






Instructions



1. Bring water to a low simmer. (Do NOT let the soup boil!) Pour in the soup stock powder.
   
   
2. Put the miso into a large ladle. Dip the ladle into the stock and slowly dissolve the miso by stirring it with the stock in the ladle, dipping it repeatedly, until it is all incorporated into the soup. (If you just drop the miso into the soup, it will take too long to dissolve on its own.)
   
   
3. Add a dash of mirin and soy sauce. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the pot. Add the wakame and chopped green onions. It's done!
   
   Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with the shichimi to add extra spiciness.
   
   






Final Comments


Variations are endless. Add thinly sliced potato, onions, mushrooms, carrots, lotus root -- whatever you like!