Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional (10 page)

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Authors: Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner

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BOOK: Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional

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For fresher tasting wakame with a less slimy texture, use a type of dried wakame that is frequently sold as “cut wakame.” It is finely cut and reconstitutes almost immediately in hot liquid. It can be added to the hot
dashi
(stock) along with the miso. Allow it to steep with the heat off for another minute. I prefer this type of wakame miso soup, although the first method is more traditional.

Wakame (a mineral-rich, leafy green sea vegetable) and tofu make a light addition to miso broth. Wakame comes in either a dried or fresh form, the latter being sold in the refrigerated section of Japanese food stores. Either form requires soaking in water before it can be used.
The fresh type is often packed in a lot of sea salt, which must be thoroughly rinsed off before using. Keep in mind that the dry form expands more than tenfold when soaked, so that only a small amount is needed.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Potato and Onion Miso Soup

Jaga-Jmo to Tamanegi no Miso Shiru

1 to 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 quart
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54

cup medium or dark miso (light can also be used)

Simmer the potatoes and onion slices in the stock until tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and make a paste of the miso and a small amount of stock; whisk into the pot. Serve immediately.

Another cold-weather soup, hearty and full-flavored.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Miso Soup with Chard, Kale, or Bok Choy

3 cups roughly chopped chard, kale, or bok choy

1 quart
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54

cup light miso

Simmer the greens in the stock for several minutes until tender. Turn off the heat and mix in the miso. Serve immediately.

A lighter miso soup for spring or summer.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions

¼ to ½ pound silken tofu

2 to 3 scallions

1 quart Konbu
_Dashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54

cup light miso

Cut the tofu carefully into little ½-inch cubes. Sliver the scallions as thinly as possible.

Heat the
dashi
(stock) until it comes to a simmer. Add the tofu and allow to heat for a minute. Turn off the heat. Dissolve the miso into it, adjusting the amount to taste. Add the scallions and serve immediately.