I love miso soup. I really do. I have been enjoying it for many years and have never grown tired of it. As I have fought tooth and nail to reduce my bulk I try to eat sensibly at lunch and avoid the pitfalls of fast food. I will say it is easy to avoid if I take the time to make good food at home and then pack it to the office. Miso is one of those foods.
If there is a downside to miso soup it is that it contains a fair amount (read large amount) of salt due to the bonito and the miso paste. There are low or lower sodium versions of miso on the market but I don't like the taste as much. So when I make it myself I will go lightly on the dashi as well as the miso, but still use enough to give great taste. It is so easy to make it is ridiculous.
A pot, some soup stock granules, tofu, water and miso paste. That's it! Oh no. Seaweed. Yes you need seaweed as well.
Don't be alarmed by the seaweed my dear friends. The seaweed that you will use is not the kind that washes up on shore and clings to you as you try to escape the surf. I prefer to call it a "sea raised green". And regardless of your thoughts about the sea raised green, you have consumed it a million times as some types of seaweed are rendered into many additives and additions to prepared food, and sushi, don't forget about sushi...
I had a craving tonight for miso soup for tomorrows lunch (cravings do give me advance notice sometimes) and decided to make a pot as I was making dinner of Japanese Curried Beef. So now the miso is in the fridge and will offer me noontime sustenance at the office for a few days and the Japanese Beef Curry fed us tonight and tomorrow as well. Leftovers are so therapeutic and quick too!
Miso Soup
6 cups water
1 Tbsp Bonito soup granules (HonDashi is very good) or prepare per package direction
3 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed, traditionally it is used sparingly but I like it a lot so I add a lot, you can do whatever the hell you want, but be daring!
1/4 cup red miso paste
1 lb soft tofu cut into 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/2" pieces, if you want you can cut the total in half, but I like a lot of tofu since I don't add meat or noodles to it.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot, once boiling turn down to simmer.
Add bonito granules. Taste to ensure it has a gentle but noticeable flavour
Add the miso paste and whisk into the stock, ensure it has been well incorporated. Add tofu. Let it do a very low simmer (Do not boil!) for 6-8 minutes. Normally the tofu will float and when it does it is ready. It will sink back to the bottom after a while.
Take the wakame and quickly rinse under running water then add to the soup.
Let wakame sit in hot soup for 2-3 minutes before serving.
When you are ready to serve this wonder of nature and Japanese culinary excellence you need to give the pot a stir with the ladle as the miso paste will sink to the bottom of the pot. So a gentle stir of the soup and then ladle into the bowl.
Serve hot and enjoy....