A video recipe from SBS Food Safari on how to make Japanese Miso Soup with Tofu.
Dashi (Stock)
Ingredients
3 cups water
10cm square piece konbu (kelp)
15g of katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Directions
1. Wipe the surface of konbu with a dry cloth. Using scissors, make a few snips into the konbu to help release the flavours. Place water and konbu in a saucepan and soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place the pan over medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Just before it reaches boiling point, remove the konbu and discard.
3. Once the water comes to the boil, turn off the heat, put a ladleful of cold water into the pan, then add the katsuobushi.
4. Return to the heat until the water comes back to the boil, then remove from heat and leave until the bonito flakes settle on the bottom of the pan.
5. Strain dashi through a fine sieve. Do not squeeze out the flakes, as this will make the stock very fishy.
Miso Soup
Ingredients
2-3 tbsp miso (or to taste)
½ a block tofu, cut into 1.5cm cubes
5g dried wakame
Directions
1. Soak the wakame in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat dashi in a pan and dissolve miso in a cup of the stock and pour back into remaining stock in the pan, making sure the stock does not boil after the miso is added.
3. Add tofu and wakame and heat through gently.
4. Serve in a bowl, garnished with finely chopped shallots.
Miso Soup can be made with all sorts of vegetables (and seafood). Classic combinations are:
Note:
Ingredients such as wakame and tofu don’t need to be cooked - they only need to be heated through at the end after the miso has been added. Other vegetables that need cooking should be cooked in the dashi before adding the miso.