California Miso Soup Recipes

AUTHENTIC MISO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat water in a large pot over low heat. Add kombu and cook until the mixture just begins to simmer. Stir in bonito flakes until combined. Remove pot from the heat and let dashi sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.
• Heat 3 1/2 cups dashi in a pot over medium heat. Add tofu and wakame; stir to combine. Remove 1 cup warmed dashi to a small bowl and whisk in miso paste. Pour miso mixture back into the pot with remaining dashi. Stir until warmed through. Serve garnished with chopped green onions.

MISO SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat the dashi and whisk in the miso pastes. Bring to a simmer and add the tofu, scallions, and mirin, if using. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
• In a saucepan, combine the water and kombu. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium heat. Remove the kombu and discard. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the bonito flakes and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Allow the dashi to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Discard the bonito flakes. Use immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CALIFORNIA MISO SOUP

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, mix about 1/3 cup of miso paste into 2 cups of room temp water. (On average I used about 1/3 of what is recommended on the box of miso for 4 quarts.).
• Wrap tofu in two layers of paper towels and weigh it down for 20 minutes; then diced into small cubes.
• Heat the butter in a heavy 6 quart pan. When the butter has melted, add onions and garlic. Cook uncovered, over med heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat and stir onions until they turn transparent but not brown. Do not let them burn!
• When onions are transparent add fresh mushrooms. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.
• Pour water into the heavy 6 quart pan until it is half way full . Increase heat and bring to a simmer.
• To the 6 quart pan add, tofu, (and mushrooms if you are using rehydrated shiitake) and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn down heat just below a simmer on the pan and add two cups of room temp water (new water not the miso yet). Also, add salad greens to the pan, cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Turn off heat.
• Add 1/2 cup stock from the 6 quart pan to the mixing bowl with miso paste. Mix until smooth.
• Add miso mix to the 6 quart pan. Stir.
• Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar.

MISO SOUP

Steps:

• Wrap the block of tofu in 2 layers of paper towels and lay on a plate. Invert a second plate on top of the tofu and weigh down with a 28-ounce can. Leave for 20 minutes then cut the tofu into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
• Heat the dashi in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the dashi reaches 100 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, ladle 1 cup into a small bowl. Add the miso, and whisk until smooth.
• Bring the remaining dashi to a bare simmer, approximately 10 minutes. Add the miso mixture and whisk to combine. Return to a slight simmer, being careful not to boil the mixture. Add the tofu and scallions and cook for another minute or until heated through. Remove from the heat, ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.

CALIFORNIA CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large kettle; add next six ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in soup and cheese; cook until soup is heated through and the cheese is melted.

SIMPLE MISO SOUP

Steps:

• Place water and dashi granules in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until dashi is dissolved.
• Add wakame and simmer until wakame is rehydrated (about 3-5 minutes).
• Meanwhile, place tofu in 4 small bowls (preferably Japanese soup bowls that have lids).
• When wakame is tender, remove soup from heat. Place miso into a small, shallow bowl or dish and add a small amount of broth. Blend into the miso. Repeat until miso mixture is somewhat runny and well mixed with the broth.
• Add miso to soup and stir. Return to heat briefly just until very hot (do not boil miso).
• Pour over tofu in bowls, garnish with green onion, cover and serve immediately. Miso soup should be served very hot.