Miso Soup with Market Vegetables

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan or soup pot
• •Fine mesh strainer (if making fresh dashi)
• •Small bowl or ladle for dissolving miso

Instructions

1. 1

   Make fresh dashi

   If you are making your own dashi, place the kombu in a pot with four cups of cold water. Let it sit for fifteen minutes while you prepare your vegetables. Then bring the water slowly to just below a simmer over medium heat. You will see small bubbles forming on the kombu. Remove the kombu before the water boils, or the broth turns bitter. Add the bonito flakes, let them steep for five minutes without stirring, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. This is your foundation.

   If you are using prepared dashi or vegetable stock, simply warm it gently while you prepare your vegetables. The soup will still be good. But if you have twenty minutes to spare, make it fresh.
2. 2

   Prepare the vegetables

   Slice your mushrooms and carrots. Wash and roughly chop your greens, removing any tough stems from chard or kale. Cut the tofu into small cubes. Slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate. The whites go into the pot; the greens are for finishing.

3. 3

   Cook the firmer vegetables

   Bring the dashi to a gentle simmer. Add the carrots first because they need the most time. After three minutes, add the mushrooms and the white parts of the scallions. Simmer another three minutes until the carrots yield to a fork but still have some life in them.

4. 4

   Add tofu and greens

   Slide in the tofu cubes and let them warm through for two minutes. Add your greens in the final minute. Spinach wilts almost instantly; heartier greens like kale need a bit longer. You want them just surrendered, still bright, not army green.

5. 5

   Dissolve the miso

   Remove the pot from the heat. This is essential. Place your miso in a small bowl or ladle. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot broth and whisk until smooth. Pour this slurry back into the pot and stir gently. Miso is alive with beneficial cultures; boiling kills them and turns the flavor harsh.

   Taste the broth after adding the miso. Some misos are saltier than others. You may want more or less depending on what you have. Trust your palate.
6. 6

   Serve immediately

   Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Scatter the green parts of the scallions over each serving. A few drops of toasted sesame oil, if you like. Miso soup waits for no one. The vegetables are at their brightest now, the broth at its most fragrant. Bring it to the table while it still has that aliveness.

Chef Tips

• •Buy miso from a refrigerated case if you can. The shelf-stable varieties have been pasteurized, which extends their life but diminishes their vitality. A good miso should smell sweet and complex, not just salty.
• •White miso is mild and slightly sweet. Red miso is deeper and more assertive. A blend of the two gives you the best of both. Start with white if you are new to this.
• •In summer, try sliced summer squash, fresh corn cut from the cob, and cherry tomatoes halved at the last moment. In fall, cubed butternut squash and sautéed wild mushrooms. Let the market guide you.
• •Leftover miso soup does not reheat well. The vegetables go soft and the miso loses its brightness. Make only what you will eat.

Advance Preparation

• •Dashi can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. Warm it gently before building the soup.
• •Vegetables can be prepped and stored separately for up to a day. Keep greens in a damp towel; they wilt quickly once cut.
• •The finished soup should be served immediately. This is a meal that rewards presence at the stove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 330g)