Classic Miso Soup



Tofu, negi and wakame miso soup

2 ¼ cups water

I teaspoon dashi* (dashi no moto, dried Japanese soup stock)

4 tablespoons white miso*

1 tablespoon dried wakame* (type of seaweed), reconstituted by soaking in 1 cup water

300g (10 oz) block soft tofu (kinugoshi doufu)“silk” tofu*

3 green onions (negi), thinly sliced (use the white part and discard fibrous outer skin)

*Wakame, miso, dashi and tofu are available at Asian food stores.

1.      Place the water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.

2.      Gently stir in dashi and simmer for a minute or two.

3.      Drain wakame add to the stock together with the spring onions, cook for a few minutes on a low simmer.

4.      Add the miso and stir to dissolve into the soup.

5.      Place tofu on your hand and gently rinse with water. While it is still on your hand cut it into cubes with a not too sharp knife taking care not to cut yourself. Add the tofu to the soup.

6.      Divide the soup between 4 miso soup bowls. Garnish with additional green onions if desired. Serves 4



Miso soup with tofu, pumpkin, negi and wakame

Note: If the wakame is omitted you will have a simple but delicious tofu and negi miso soup.

Variations:  You can add and combine ingredients as you like. Any ingredients requiring boiling to cook and soften (eg potato) need to be added at step 3. Add delicate ingredients like tofu at the end. Avoid boiling the miso, keep it just simmering.

Other ingredients to try: pumpkin and fried tofu (use small cubes of diced pumpkin), mushrooms; any Japanese mushrooms, such as fresh shiitake sliced, enoki or shimeji, alternatively brown or mushrooms, sliced or button mushrooms, potato (jagaimo not Japanese potatoes) and wakame, shell fish or small prawns and negi (green onions). Other vegetables such as carrots, turnips and parsnips.

Note: miso comes in red, white and mixed red/white types. Personally I like the white better as it is milder, but it is a matter of taste. They are interchangeable but flavour of the soup will reflect the miso type chosen.