Cookbook:Miso Soup (Traditional)

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This recipe is for a traditional miso soup. Wakame with tofu is a standard and popular combination, especially at restaurants.

• 90–94% by volume dashi (consider using instant dashi mix)
• 6–10% by volume miso (red, white, or a combination)

Any 2–3 of the following items that contrast in color, flavor, buoyancy, shape, texture, etc:

• Finely sliced and deep-fried tofu (agedashi tofu)
• Cubed raw silky tofu (recommended)
• Wakame seaweed (recommended)
• Konbu (kelp), perhaps left over from making dashi
• Spinach
• Sliced scallion (recommended)
• Grated daikon radish
• Boiled and finely cubed potato
• Clams (asari or shijimi)
• Grated eggplant
• Shrimp
• Mushrooms

1. Put dashi in a pot.
2. Add any garnish that needs cooking.
3. Heat the dashi, letting it simmer to cook any garnish that needs cooking. Do not bring to a rolling boil, as this degrades the flavor.
4. Add any garnish that does not need cooking, and remove from heat.
5. Add the miso to the soup. Avoid boiling the miso; some nuances of the flavor will be lost.

• While certainly a traditional food, miso soup is also suited to modern interpretations. Using oil leftover from frying bacon and adding caramelized onion and cabbage produces a soup notably different from the traditional variety, and can add new interest to a classic dish. A small quantity of freshly ground black pepper added just before serving rounds out this method very well.