Miso Soup

Ingredients

• 1 litre dashi, primary stock made from kombu and bonito flakes
• 80g miso paste, white or red (awase blend preferred)
• 150g silken tofu, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 50g wakame, dried seaweed
• 4 scallions, white and green separated, sliced 2cm
• 20g daikon radish, peeled, grated
• 10ml mirin, naturally brewed
• Salt, fine sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Bring dashi to gentle simmer in saucepan over medium heat; do not allow to boil vigorously as this damages delicate umami compounds.
2. 2
   Rehydrate wakame in separate bowl with 100ml cold water for 5 minutes; drain and divide among warmed miso soup bowls.
3. 3
   Dissolve miso paste in small ladle using 100ml hot dashi, working with wooden spoon to create smooth slurry without lumps.
4. 4
   Gently pour miso slurry into simmering dashi, stirring with wooden spoon to distribute; taste and adjust salinity if needed.
5. 5
   Add silken tofu cubes carefully; heat broth to 70°C (just below boiling point) for 2 minutes, as prolonged heating coagulates proteins and diminishes flavor.
6. 6
   Divide hot miso soup into warmed bowls; garnish with white scallion slices, grated daikon and mirin if desired.
7. 7
   Top each bowl with green scallion slices and serve immediately; miso soup should be consumed fresh within 2 minutes of serving for optimal temperature and flavor intensity.