Food of the World is traveling to Japan to taste the cuisine of this island nation. Cuisine is based on rice, noodles and miso soup which are served with other side dishes. Side dishes included pickled vegetables, fish and vegetables that are cooked in broth. Most famous food from this nation is sushi, miso soup and tempura. I made vegetable miso soup.

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made with dashi and miso paste. Dashi is Japanese fish stock prepared with kombu, dried seaweed and dried bonito fish flakes. I used a shortcut and used dashi powder to make dashi. Regular stock can also be used. Miso is Japanese seasoning prepared with fermented soybeans. Taste of the miso depending on how long it is fermented. Red miso is fermented longer and has strong flavor and white miso has lighter flavor and is fermented for shorter period. I used red miso paste for the soup.

Tofu is a must in miso soup, at least from what I have seen online. I used tofu in my soup and used dashi seasoning to make the soup. Dashi seasoning bottle did not have directions to prepare dashi. The Japanese storekeeper where I bought dashi seasoning said she uses approximate measures and suggested using about 1 teaspoon per 2 cups of water to prepare dashi. I found the flavor very strong, it had a strong fish smell. After adding the miso paste, the smell was not that strong but I was still not happy with it. I made the soup again this afternoon with less seasoning and used vegetables instead of tofu. Below is the picture of the soup I made with vegetables. Though I used dashi, regular stock can also be used. Miso soup is mild in taste but I kind of liked the taste when served hot/warm. One could add some hot sauce or chili flakes to spice it up.

There is a Japanese store close to where I live. I used dashi seasoning to prepare dashi and also picked miso paste from the same store. Miso paste is also available in most of the grocery stores and Whole Foods also carries it.

Miso Soup with Tofu
Adapted: TheKitchen
Cooking Time: 5 – 10 minutes
Serves: 1-2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Water
• 1 tsp. Dashi Seasoning (would recommend using ¼ – ⅓ tsp. and add more if required)
• 2 tbsp. Red or White Miso Paste (I used red paste and mixture of both can also be used)
• 4 oz. Silken Firm Tofu, cut into ½” cubes
• 1 Scallion thinly sliced

Preparation:

• Take water in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Add dashi seasoning, mix and boil for few seconds.
• Take ½ cup of dashi in a bowl and mix miso paste.
• Pour the miso mixture to boiling dashi, mix and reduce the flame.
• Add tofu and simmer for couple of minutes.
• Sprinkle scallions on the soup.
• Turn of the heat and serve hot.

Vegetable Miso Soup
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Water
• ¼ – ⅓ tsp. Dashi Seasoning
• 2 tbsp. Miso Paste
• 3 – 4 Mushrooms, sliced (I used bella mushrooms)
• 1 small Carrot, peeled & sliced
• ½ small tender Celery Stalk, sliced
• ½ cup chopped Spinach
• 1 tender Green Onion/Scallion

Preparation:

• Take water in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Add dashi seasoning, mix and boil for few seconds.
• Take ½ cup of dashi in a bowl and mix miso paste.
• Add mushrooms to dashi and boil for couple of minutes.
• Add carrots, celery and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes all the vegetables are almost cooked.
• Add spinach and cook for ½ – 1 minutes.
• Pour the miso mixture to boiling dashi, mix and reduce the flame.
• Sprinkle scallions on the soup.
• Turn of the heat and serve hot.

Note:

• I did not have tofu on hand and did not use it. If using tofu, adjust vegetables accordingly. You do not want to have a too many veggies and tofu and very little soup.

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