Miso soup is commonly consumed in Japan. It is served with daily meals. Although the soybean paste is the main ingredient, each family has its own recipe. Some add daikon or seaweed while others cook with clam. Just like french fries to Americans, it is a common side dish in everyday meal for Japanese.
As I grew up eating miso soup everyday, I did not realize until recently its tremendous health benefits. Studies show that daily consumption of miso soup cuts the risk of breast cancer. Rich with antioxidants and protective fatty acids, it also contains full of vitamin E, B12, and many other minerals to boost your immune system.
Koji Kagawa, an Executive Sushi Chef at SUSHISAMBA in New York City is a regular contributor in Japanese Cooking Video.
Today, Koji demonstrates how to make miso soup:
You Will Need
4 fresh, cold pot
A 2 or 3-quart pot
A hotplate or stovetop
A long piece of kombu seaweed
4 bonito flakes
A small mesh strainer
1/4 lb soft tofu, cut into small cubes
2 wakame seaweed
4 red or white miso paste
3 chopped scallions
A small ladle
A spoon or whisk
A medium-sized bowl
Intro
This delicate but intensely flavored soup is like chicken soup for the Japanese soul – minus the chicken. And it’s just as easy to make if you have the right ingredients.
Step 1
Put Water on Stove
Pour the water into the pot and place it on the stove or hotplate at medium heat.
Step 2
Add Kombu
Break off a 4 to 6-inch piece of kombu and add it to the water.
Tip: Kombu – also known as sea cabbage or kelp – is available at most health food stores.
Step 3
Simmer and Remove
Simmer the kombu for 15 minutes, then remove it from the water and throw it away.
Step 4
Add Bonito
Add bonito flakes to the pot and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. If you prefer a more intense fish flavor, steep the flakes for 10, 15, or even 20 minutes – the longer you steep them, the stronger the flavor.
Step 5
Remove Bonito
With a small mesh strainer, remove the bonito flakes and discard them.
Step 6
Add Tofu and Wakame
Add the tofu chunks and wakame and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
Tip: When making miso soup, never bring the broth to a boil – it will muddy all the distinct flavors.
Step 7
Stir Miso Paste and Broth
Ladle about a cup of the broth into a medium-sized bowl containing the miso paste, and stir with a long chopstick or spoon until it dissolves.
Step 8
Pour Broth
Once the miso paste is dissolved, pour the broth back in the pot and stir.
Tip: Miso paste will keep in the fridge for nearly a year; bonito flakes, wakame, and kombu will last indefinitely in the cupboard.
Step 9
Add Scallions
Keeping the heat on low, add the chopped scallions and simmer for a final 5 minutes. Ahhh, miso
Fact: Miso soup is routinely served at breakfast in Japanese homes and restaurants.
Traditionally miso soup can be very complicated to the average person but is really one of the easiest soups to make. The basis is a dashi and to make this in the simplest way would be to fill a pan with water, try to use the best tasting water you can. Because this will definitely effect the taste of your final product. Some tap water taste pretty bad because of the additives they put in it. Add in about how much soup you want for that day. Cut a piece of konbu seaweed that's a little shorter than the length of the bottom of the pan. Wipe it with a dry cloth. Some konbu will have a white kind of coloring on it this is normal and will add flavor to the soup. Then lay the konbu seaweed in the water and start to heat the water, just before the water boils remove the konbu(you can also, if you have the time leave the konbu in overnight). This will leave the water with a nice soft flavor. As the water begins to boil add in your dried bonito flakes only for about a minute. Skim out and discard. Now you have created your dashi(base). To this you want to add in your miso, but let the water cool a little first.Too hot of water will kill the kojikin(fermented ingredient). When first starting out most people use white miso but you can also use red miso(aka miso) that has a darker saltier more richer taste. Awase miso is a blend of both. Some restaurants even blend the two together themselves to get a specific blend. How much you want to add in is up to you. but you can always follow the directions on your miso package. That's it.. To this you want to add in whatever you like..a simple mixture would be to add small cubes of tofu and some scallions or even a little wakame seaweed taste nice and is extremely healthy for you. Adding small pieces of shrimp adds a really nice flavor. The trick is though to only add in a little bit of ingredients so not to over power the soup. Remember Japanese food is simple, pleasant not overwhelming.
