I am a loyal fan of miso soup. When this small bowl of slightly mysterious hot soup is placed in front of me, the world is filled with peace and tranquility. (A bit exaggerated, but it truly brings infinite comfort to my stomach and heart.) However, the miso soup you drink in many restaurants often feels like dishwashing water full of monosodium glutamate and miso paste. And indeed, some places may make it this way.
.. Miso soup seems very easy to make. Just put miso paste in broth and it’s done in a jiffy. Is that so? No. I will introduce a ‘super’ version of miso soup: Use dried kelp, shiitake mushrooms, and bonito flakes to make homemade Japanese dashi stock, then add soft tofu, spinach, and chopped green onions. The miso soup made this way will be more abundant and healthier than what you have had in Japanese restaurants. You can even have just miso soup in a simple meal and still get a feeling of fullness and balanced nutrition. I have a large bucket of miso paste stored in my refrigerator and I often scoop out a few spoons to make miso soup.Ingredients for miso soup: Two pieces of 15-centimeter square dried kelp. Six dried shiitake mushrooms. 2800 ml of water. 4 grams of bonito flakes. 340 grams of soft tofu. Five tablespoons of Japanese white miso paste. 150 grams of tender spinach leaves. Two chopped green onions.
Steps for making miso soup: Step 1: Rinse the dried kelp and dried shiitake mushrooms with cold water and put them in a medium-sized soup pot. Step 2: Pour in 2800 ml of water and soak for 1 hour. Step 3: After soaking, heat over medium heat until the soup barely boils. Remove the kelp, turn to high heat until the soup is fully boiling. Once boiling, turn to low heat and add bonito flakes. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Step 4: Filter the cooked soup into another pot. The Japanese dashi stock is now ready as the base soup for miso soup. Set aside the shiitake mushrooms. Heat the soup pot on medium-low heat, put the miso paste in the soup and stir until completely melted. Slice the shiitake mushrooms and put them in the pot. Step 5: After simmering for 10 minutes, add tofu cubes, tender spinach leaves and chopped green onions. Step 6: Simmer for a few more minutes and it’s ready to be served. Step 7: Enjoy this steaming hot and super abundant bowl of miso soup!