Miso Soup

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Miso Soup

Jun 12 2010 7:46:43 pm EST

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Miso soup is a Japanese culinary staple. It is accomodating to a spectrum of ingredients, making it as light or hearty as required.

The basic stock gives miso soup its characteristic Japanese flavor. It is very simple and easy to make, although the ingredients may be difficult to find:

1. 1 inch dried kombu (kelp) per cup water. Some grocery stores may sell Kombu. Health food stores, and of course, Asian grocery stores are a better bet. Amazon sells it too if you want to wait for shipping.
2. 1/4 cup bonito (fish) flakes per cup water. Bonito flakes are part of the traditional recipe, though I do not find them essential. A vegetarian miso soup is just as enjoyable to me. Like Kombu, some grocery stores may sell bonito flakes. Health food stores, and of course, Asian grocery stores are a better bet. Amazon sells it too if you want to wait for shipping.
3. 1 slightly heaping tablespoon miso paste per cup water Miso paste is always added at the end, as miso is sensitive to temperature. The salty paste is a combination of fermented rice, barley, and/or soybeans. Boiling it kills beneficial bacteria and may unfavorably alter the flavor and texture. Like kombu and bonito flakes, some grocery stores may sell miso paste. Health food stores, and of course, Asian grocery stores are a better bet. Amazon sells it in powder form if you want to wait for shipping.

These three ingredients form the base. Preparations are as follows:

Stock

1. Add water and kombu to a pot, one inch kombu per cup water. Heat.
2. Either remove kombu once water reaches boiling point, or reduce to low simmer and let sit 15 minutes, depending on how strong you want the kombu flavor. I let it simmer 15 minutes. As for the bonito, add and simmer on low heat a few minutes before you are ready to remove the kombu.
3. Remove kombu after simmering. Kombu may be set aside and reused. If you added bonito flakes, strain them out with a sieve.

For plain miso soup broth, turn off heat and stir in miso paste, 1 slightly heaping tablespoon per cup. This is nice for drinking. If you want to add tofu, green onion, radish, etc.. don’t add miso yet. Choose a recipe in the next section.

Basic Miso Soup

This simple recipe uses green onion and tofu to create texture and heartiness.

Once you have your broth, minus the miso paste, as instructed in previous section, add cubed tofu and chopped green onion. For an idea of quantity, I use 1/3 block tofu and half a cup green onion for four cups broth.

Simmer the ingredients for a few minutes before serving. Add miso paste after removing from heat.

Spicy Snow Pea Miso Soup

This is my personal favorite, although it is easy to become overcrowded with ingredients.

Once you have your broth, minus the miso paste, as instructed in previous section, add cubed tofu, chopped green onion, snow peas in pods, and red pepper flakes. If you want something a little heartier, add rice noodles.

For an idea of quantities, I use 1/3 block tofu, 1/3 cup chopped green onion, about ten pods snow peas, and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes for 4 cups broth.

Simmer the ingredients for a few minutes before serving. Add miso paste after removing from heat.

Dates:

2011

2010

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