Japanese Miso Soup

A clean, comforting bowl of dashi seasoned with miso and dotted with tofu, wakame and scallion.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 piece kombu (4 inches)
• 1 cup bonito flakes
• 1/4 cup white miso paste
• 6 oz soft tofu, cubed
• 2 tbsp dried wakame seaweed, rehydrated
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Soak the kombu in the water for 15 minutes, then heat slowly and remove the kombu just before the water boils.
2. Add the bonito flakes, turn off the heat, let steep 2 minutes, then strain to make a clear dashi.
3. Return the dashi to a bare simmer and add the tofu and wakame to warm through.
4. Ladle a little hot dashi into a bowl, whisk in the miso until smooth, then stir it back into the pot off the heat (do not boil after adding miso).
5. Taste and adjust with a touch more miso if needed.
6. Ladle into bowls and finish with sliced scallion.

Notes

Made the traditional way Chef Masaharu Morimoto teaches, starting from scratch dashi.