Miso Soup with Broccoli and Tofu

Shiitake dashi broth

1. By and large, miso soup counts as fast food. As a rule, the broth of dried mushrooms or fish with a little seaweed is made separately, and it can be used for more than soup. To make a simple dashi (often pronounced “dashi” with a soft “sh”), dried shiitake alone is enough, although the flavor is considered a bit too intense that way.

2. Soak the dried shiitake the day before: cover them with cold water and leave them to soften. A few hours will do, but overnight is even better. For soup for two you need about 3 cups of liquid (600 ml).

   
   

3. Make the broth. You can use the soaking liquid as it is: squeeze the moisture from the mushrooms back into the broth (they can be frozen and reused). If you don’t plan to, bring the liquid with the mushrooms to just under a boil and simmer for 5-7 mins over low heat. It should be on the verge of boiling, but not boil. After that you can discard the shiitake and strain the broth.

   

Soup

1. The soup itself is extremely simple and doesn’t take long. We chose broccoli as the main ingredient, with green onion tops and smoked tofu.

2. Cook the broccoli in the broth. Cut the florets off the stalk, leaving small stems. Add the broccoli to the almost-boiling broth and cook over low heat for 3-4 mins, which is enough. Then lift the florets out with a slotted spoon into bowls or large cups.

   

   If you want to use other vegetables, such as cauliflower, onion or carrot, cook them in advance until nearly done but still al dente, then finish them in the broth.

4. Dissolve the miso paste. Pour a little broth into a cup, add 1-2 tbsp of miso paste (17–33 g) and mix thoroughly until smooth. We usually use “red” paste, a fermented soybean paste with a slightly salty taste and a strong aroma. Sometimes a few drops of soy sauce are added to the broth, if you like.

   

   Pour the dissolved paste into the pot of broth and stir. From this point the broth must not boil, only a gentle stirring of the surface on the verge of boiling.

5. Pour the broth over the broccoli and add the onion and tofu. Add enough broth that the main vegetables are still visible. Add the green onion cut into large pieces on the diagonal (we use only the green part). Cube the smoked tofu and add it to the soup on top of the broccoli. By the way, no other seasonings, such as salt or pepper, are used.

   

Serving

1. Let the soup stand in the bowl for a few minutes right before serving. It is served hot. The Japanese drink it from the bowl, then eat the main ingredients with chopsticks. It is often served with separately cooked rice and a side of meat or fish. Surprisingly, chicken is treated as a side for the rice.

   

   Ordinary cabbage or its relatives, ginger, pepper and root vegetables are also used as extra ingredients. The mix is often seasonal, and what matters is how the ingredients combine. A distinction is made between “sinking” and “floating” ingredients.