Sometimes the simplest dishes are the hardest to make perfect. Take miso soup for example, it is an absolutely iconic dish in Japanese cuisine and an integral element to a complete Japanese meal, for me anyway. And yet I have had soooo many disappointing miso soup orders at restaurants, fancy or small.
So in this recipe, we're going to take every little step seriously in order to make a perfect miso soup that is flavorful, umami, nourishing, and comforting. The fundamental ingredients for miso soup and absolutely nonnegotiable in my opinion are - dashi, miso paste, silken tofu, and scallions. I do not recommend any substitution or omission of any of these four ingredients.
In addition to the core four, I also love to add shiitake mushrooms to the soup. They add another layer of texture and accentuate the umami note. And as for the tofu, like we said in the beginning, take every little step and every word seriously and that means silken tofu - no other types of tofu please. Silken tofu has a different production process which results in a totally different texture - silky and tender like a baby's face.
I cut the tofu into bunny shapes just for fun but of course that is very much optional. Normally the silken tofu is just cut into small cubes before adding to the soup. Watch the video below for a visual guide for the steps and please read through the detailed instructions below and especially note the temperature control.
INGREDIENTS:
*this amount makes 4 cups or 2 bowls of soup
12 oz silken tofu
4 tablespoon miso paste, I personally prefer white miso but you can choose red or others too
1 - 2 scallion
2 x 5 inch piece of dried wakame seaweed, or 1 1/2 tablespoon wakame flakes
2 teaspoon sesame oil
For the Dashi -
4 dried shiitake mushroom
4 x 4 inch piece of kombu
4 cup cold water
TO MAKE:
- Make the dashi first, add the shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and water into a pot, cook over medium to low heat and slowly bring to a boil;
- And RIGHT BEFORE the dashi comes to a boil, take out the kombu, if you let the seaweed boil it will get slimy and make the dashi bitter, save the kombu for a seaweed salad or other recipes;
- Simmer the dashi for 10 minutes, then set aside, take out the shiitake mushrooms, thinly slice them;
- Slice the scallion and separate the whites and greens;
- In another pot, heat the sesame oil, sauté the scallion whites for a minute or two until aromatic, then add in the shiitake mushrooms, sauté for another 2 minutes or so;
- Add in the dashi, cover, and bring to a boil;
- Meanwhile, cut the tofu into small cubes or any shapes you like;
- When the soup is boiling, lower the heat, and stir in the miso paste over a sift, make sure to dissolve the miso completely;
- DO NOT bring the soup to boiling point again once the miso is added! That will not only compromise the flavor but also harm the probiotic properties in miso, just keep the soup cook over low heat but not boiling;
- Add in the tofu, gently stir to combine, and cook until the tofu pieces are warm, this shouldn't take long;
- Cut the wakame seaweed into small pieces, and if you're using wakame flakes, skip this step;
- Add the wakame into the soup, stir, and let them rehydrate;
- Turn off the heat, and sprinkle in the scallion greens;
- NOTE, if you're not planning to eat the soup immediately, then hold off on the scallion, keep the soup warm on the stove, and add the scallion right before you serve the soup;
- Serve hot, enjoy!
