Written on Mar 27,2012 at 9:38 am by Erina

Miso Soup with Tofu and Wakame Seaweed

Filed under Asian, Japanese, Quick {no comments}

Miso soup is a staple of Japanese cuisine. I was raised in a somewhat old fashioned family with my grandparents, and they never went a day without it. In fact, they had it twice a day, for breakfast and dinner. The good thing is that miso soup is one of the easiest soups to make. My mom raised two kids, took care of the in-laws, helped with my dad’s business, and still was able to serve the soup every single day along with several other dishes. Miso soup has become popular in Japanese restaurants in the US, and many people have asked me if I know how to make the tofu and wakame (seaweed) miso soup. So, here it is!

Like other soups, the most important component of miso soup is stock known as dashi. Katsuobushi, dried and shaved bonito fish or niboshi, Japanese dried baby sardines are generally used in making dashi along with dried kelp. Dashi is always the best when it’s made from scratch. It doesn’t take too long to make, however it certainly adds several extra steps. To make it simple, I use a store bought soup base called Hondashi in this recipe. Hondashi is available at Asian grocery stores and at the international section of regular grocery stores. I will post the dashi recipe on a separate post sometime soon. You could use any type of miso, aka (red) miso, shiro (white) miso or awase (blend of both), according to your liking.

Miso Soup with Tofu and Wakame (Seaweed)
Total Time: 15min [Prep: 10min, Cook:5min]
Yield: 4~5 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
1qt water
2 tsp hondashi
12 oz tofu, diced into the preferred size
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) miso
1 scallion, sliced

Directions
1. Soak the seaweed in water for 5~10 minutes to soften (check the soaking time on the package. It may be different.) Squeeze the water out and set aside.

2. Bring water to a boil and add the hondashi.

3. Add the tofu and bring back to a simmer then add the seaweed.

4. Place the miso on a tea strainer, and dissolve the miso in the soup base, using chopsticks or a folk to help it dissolve. If using a ladle, place the miso on the ladle and scoop out some of the soup base. Dissolve the miso in the ladle before adding to the soup base. Repeat until all miso is dissolved in the soup.

5. Bring to a very gentle simmer. Do not boil the liquid after you add the miso. It will impair the miso flavor. 6. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle some green onions if desired.

This post is also available in: Japanese