Scallion and Fried Tofu Miso Soup (ねぎと油揚げの味噌汁, Negi to Aburaage no Misoshiru)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Small miso strainer, or a ladle and chopsticks

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale bloom on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Put the konbu in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull it out when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot, before it reaches a boil.

   Boiling konbu can make dashi bitter and a little slick. You're drawing out clarity, not punishing the kelp.
2. 2

   Add katsuobushi

   Bring the konbu water just to a gentle boil. Add the katsuobushi all at once, turn off the heat, and leave it alone for two or three minutes until the flakes sink. Don't stir. The flakes give themselves up neatly if you let them.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Strain the dashi through a cloth-lined sieve into a clean pot and let it drip naturally. Don't squeeze the flakes. Squeezing presses strong, oily flavors into the stock, and this soup depends on a clean base.

4. 4

   Rinse aburaage

   Set the aburaage in a sieve and pour boiling water over both sides. Pat it dry, then cut it into thin ribbons. This removes excess surface oil so the fried tofu tastes rich without clouding the broth.

5. 5

   Warm the fillings

   Return the dashi to medium heat and add the aburaage ribbons. Simmer quietly for two minutes so they drink in the stock. Add the sliced negi and cook just until softened but still bright, about one minute. If you cook the negi too long, its clean bite disappears.

6. 6

   Dissolve the miso

   Turn off the heat. Put the miso in a ladle, lower it into the hot broth, and stir with chopsticks until it dissolves, or press it through a small miso strainer. Taste, then add a little more miso if the soup needs it. Warm the soup gently if needed, but don't boil it once the miso is in. Boiling dulls the aroma and makes the flavor coarse.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, giving each bowl a few ribbons of aburaage and an odd little gathering of negi. Serve immediately, while the scallion still reads green and the broth surface is glossy and still.

Chef Tips

• •Use Japanese negi if you can find it. It has more body than common scallion and turns sweet in the hot broth. Scallions are a sensible stand-in, just add them a little later so they don't collapse.
• •Awase miso, a blend of red and white miso, is the easy household choice here. White miso makes the soup rounder and sweeter; red miso makes it deeper and saltier. Taste before adding the full amount.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with konbu and dried shiitake. Soak one piece of konbu and two dried shiitake in the water overnight, then warm gently and strain. That's honmono from the temple kitchen line, not a compromise.
• •Don't use instant dashi when the soup is this spare. The powder has its uses in a hurried world, but here the stock is half the bowl.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it gently before adding the aburaage and negi.
• •You can rinse and slice the aburaage a day ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator so the soup comes together quickly.
• •Do not finish the soup with miso ahead of time if you can avoid it. Miso is best dissolved just before serving, while its fragrance is still alive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)