Miso is one of the main ingredients in Japanese cooking. Miso contains a lot of protein and are used as a base ingredient in many types of dishes such as sauces, dressing in addition to Miso soup. Traditionally, miso soup should be at eaten at the end of the meal and not at the start as many Westernes seems to do. Dashi is the soup base to which miso is added to make the miso soup. The final contents of the miso soup depend on the season and family recipe. This one contains a primary and secondary dashi.

Preparation: (Serve 4)

• 3 1/2 cups primari dashi or secondary dashi
• 1/2 inch cubes of tofu (bean curd)
• 4 tbsp white miso
• 4 tbsp green onion
• 1 ounce dried seaweed (wakama)

Primary Dashi
• Put 3 1/2 cups of water with kelp (konbu) in a pot and bring it to boil
• When boiling, take out the kelp and add a handful of bonito flakes. Turn off the heat right away.
• Let the bonito flakes soak for 3-4 minutes. Using a colander strain the solution into another pot. Keep the strained bonito and kelp for Secondary Dashi.

Secondary Dashi
• Put 3 1/2 cups of water with kelp (konbu) in a pot and bring it to boil
• Add the strain bonito and kelp as well as a small additional handfull of bonito and bring it to a boil, then boil it for 3-5 minutes.
• After boiling, strain the solution into a new pan. Discard the bonito and kelp.

Miso Soup
• Heat the dashi (primary and secondary). Put miso in a ladle and add some dashi to soften. As miso begins to dissolve gradually add the miso mixture to the dashi stock. Do not boil the miso soup.
• Cut tofu in 0.5 inch square and mince the green onion. If using the dried seaweed (wakama), soak in luke warm water for 1-2 minutes to make it soft and edible.
• In individual lacquer bowls, distribute tofu, green onion and seaweed and pour miso soup slowly into each bowl.

Enjoy!

Here is also a video I found.

Other recipes:

• Miso Soup with Tofu Recipe
• Miso soup variations

How to make miso soup (video)