Skip to main content

Miso SoupTad Seaborn

Homemade broth that warms your hands as you cradle the soup bowl is a must in this month of grey (so much grey) and cold. Miso soup has few ingredients: You make the stock (dashi) from kombu (dried kelp) and dried bonito flakes, then add miso – about 10 minutes of work versus the few hours watching chicken stock simmer. It's deep and rich with flavour, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Later, if you want to reheat it or cook vegetables in the soup, don't allow it to boil, as that will kill the live enzymes in the miso. Miso has the added benefit of being a probiotic food; to add more to your diet, you can season salad dressing with miso or use it in marinades. And if you're thinking, "But where do I get this stuff?" the ingredients can be found in the Asian sections of many grocery stores or in health-food shops and Asian markets.

Ingredients

4 cups cold water

4- to 6-inch piece of kombu

1/2 cup of dried bonito flakes

3 tablespoons of white (shiro) miso

Method

Into a small pot, add 4 cups cold water and one 4- to 6-inch piece of kombu. Slowly heat to the point of boiling and remove from heat.Remove the kombu, add 1/2 cup of dried bonito flakes. Allow to steep 2 minutes and strain with a fine sieve. You’ve now made dashi.In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of dashi and 3 tablespoons of white (shiro) miso. Add back to the rest of the dashi and stir. Your miso soup is ready. Serves 4.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe