Jazzy Miso Soup

Miso soup is the ultimate comfort food for us. Don't let this recipe scare you away! It is much simpler to prepare that it appears. We usually serve this with a green salad with peanut/ginger sauce. Sometimes we even have this for breakfast on a cold day (not many of those in Houston)! The ingredients can be found in any Asian market or on-line Asian grocery stores.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• To Make DASHI

• 2  pieces  dried kelp, kombo (2-3 inch piece)
• 6  cups cold water
• 1  cup  packaged dried tuna bonito flakes (KATSO BUSHI)

• To Make MISO

• 1⁄2 cup  dried  wakame seaweed (a type of seaweed)
• 1⁄4 cup shiro miso (white/yellow fermented soy bean paste)
• 6  cups  dashi
• 1⁄2 lb soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 cubes
• 1⁄4 cup  thinly sliced green onion (scallions)
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped baby bok choy (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup bean sprouts (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup  julienned carrot (optional)
• 12 -18  individual snow peas (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2  tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Directions

1. Prepare Dashi as follows.
2. Wipe any sand or salt from the Kombo with a damp cloth.
3. Bring Kombo and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
4. Remove Kombo with tongs and discard.
5. Remove pot from heat and sprinkle Katso Bushi flakes over liquid in pot and let stand for 3 minutes.
6. Pour"broth" through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into another large pot, discard the Katso Bushi (tuna flakes).
7. Dashi is now made.
8. Prepare Miso soup as follows.
9. Reconstitute Wakame by covering in warm water for about 15 minutes, drain and cut into strips.
10. Stir together the Miso paste and about 1/2 cup of Dashi in a bowl until smooth, set aside.
11. Re-heat remaining Dashi over high heat, add baby bok choy, bean sprouts, carrots, snow peas, crushed red pepper, and soy sauce.
12. Cook until veges are soft but still crisp.
13. Add Wakame strips and tofu and simmer for one minute.
14. Remove from heat and immediately stir in Miso/Dashi mixture and green onions.
15. Stir and serve immediately.
16. I realize I don't have the ingredients in the order that they are used, sorry about that, but I think you will quickly get the hang of it.
17. Do give this a try, you will see that although it looks complicated, it is very simple.