What's the soup of the day? Japanese Miso

About a million years ago my husband and I had our first date.  He asked me if I like sushi and if I would like to go for dinner.  I, of course, said that I loved sushi.  Little did he know that I had only had it once before when I was an intern working in the art department of the Quaker Oats Company.  My boss was Japanese and had ordered trays of sushi for the office.  Back then, I remembered that I didn't hate this new cuisine but didn't think I would ever come to love it.  

Our meal started, as most Japanese meals do, with Miso soup.  I remember thinking how comforting and light this soup was.  It was a clear soup but also slightly creamy, a bit briny with floating pieces of soft tofu and earthy seaweed.  Delicious! Our meal continued with gyoza, sunomono salad, tempura, and sushi.  It was all so good!  It was truly feel-good food.  By the end of the night, I knew I loved Japanese cuisine and maybe even the man. 

Making miso soup is not hard and takes very little time.  It does require some unique ingredients.  Any supermarket that has a good supply of Asian items should have what you need to make this soup.

This recipe makes about 6 cups.  I usually double it and freeze some.

6 cups of water
1 oz. (30 grams) Kombu (dried kelp)
10 grams of dried bonito flakes (about 1 cup)
1/4 white miso paste
Medium firm tofu, small diced 
Scallions, thin sliced
1/4 cup of wakame (dried seaweed)

Most Japanese soups have a base called dashi.  To make miso, you first make dashi and then add the miso paste, scallions, wakame, and tofu to make miso soup.  Dashi freezes well and can be used for other soups like ramen.  

​Rinse the Kombu off and add it to a stockpot with 6 cups of water.  Bring it to a boil, lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the Kombu and discard it.  You will notice that the water takes on a light green color from the Kombu.  Now add your bonito flakes to the simmering pot.  I recently found these little tea-like bags of bonito but if your bonito is loose, just sprinkle it over the top of the broth.  Let this simmer for 5 minutes and then strain out or remove the bonito from the pot.  This is your dashi.  

Next, add in your miso paste.  I stir it into my pot through a strainer.  This way I don't get any lumps in my soup.  If you don't have a strainer that will fit, just use a whisk to make sure the miso paste fully dissolves. Finally, add in your scallions and wakame and simmer for about 10 more minutes.  You will see that the wakame will rehydrate in the broth and become soft ribbons. Add some diced tofu to each bowl, ladle the hot soup over the top and...
​どうぞお召し上がりください - Enjoy your meal.