Okay, so I’m feeling a little silly today. I’ve been buying packets of instant miso soup for years when it is, in fact, STUPID EASY to make at home. And when you consider the fact that Amazon has darn near everything, I should have thought to try it earlier.
A note about the ingredients – I am just entering the world of honest-to-goodness Japanese cuisine. I’ve trifled on the edges for years, but did a lot of ingredient substitutions when I couldn’t find what I needed in the local grocery store. I’m telling you now that in Japanese cuisine, the ingredients are really important for flavor. Especially in something like miso soup which has all of 5 ingredients. Two of the key ingredients are dashi and miso. Dashi is essentially a fish stock, but it has a very mild, very complex flavor and I do not recommend substituting fish stock. Dashi has that all-coveted umami element that is hard to duplicate. Miso is a fermented soybean paste. It comes in several colors, which have different flavors. For miso soup, I prefer light miso. When it comes time to add the miso to the soup (and this is VERY important – so pay attention), turn the heat off first, then stir in the miso, and serve right away. Do not attempt to reheat the soup on the stove. I don’t fully understand why it happens, but direct heat on the soup after adding the miso causes the miso to become grainy. The texture is not enjoyable in your mouth, so I like to add a little extra water to the pot and just let it simmer on super low at the back of the stove until I’m ready to serve dinner. Then I turn off the heat, add the miso, sprinkle with green onions and serve!
We’ve got a Japanese food night lined up soon for a visit by the hub’s parentals – sweet potato and cauliflower tempura, miso soup, and katsuju. If I get ambitious, I’ll take pictures of the katsuju (think crispy fried pork chop with steak sauce – yes, very, very yummy) and make it my next post!
Miso Soup Prep time 10 min; Cook time 5 min
5 cups water
1 1/2 tsps instant dashi granules
1/2 cup miso paste
1 tablespoon dried wakame, rehydrated in water
3/4 cup tofu, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
Add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the instant dashi and whisk to dissolve. Cook on medium-low and add the tofu. Drain and rinse the wakame and add the seaweed to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Measure the miso paste into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Ladle 1/2 cup of the hot broth into the cup and whisk until smooth.
Turn the heat off. Stir the miso mixture into the hot soup. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.
Yield 4 servings