← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 1 l cold water
• 10 g kombu (a 10 cm square)
• 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
• 200 g silken or soft tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
• 4 tbsp miso paste (white or mixed)
• 1 Spring onion, finely sliced

Method

1. Put the water and kombu in a pot (soaking them together beforehand gives a deeper flavour, if you have time). Heat slowly over medium-low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, about 10 min, then lift out the kombu before it boils.
2. Add the bonito flakes, simmer for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and let them steep for 2 min until they sink. Strain through a fine sieve. This is your dashi.
3. Meanwhile, soak the wakame in a bowl of water for 5 min, then drain it.
4. Return the dashi to a gentle heat and add the tofu. Put the miso in a ladle or sieve, lower it into the pot and stir with chopsticks until it dissolves completely.
5. Add the wakame and heat until the soup is just about to bubble, then turn it off. Boiling dulls the miso. Serve straight away with spring onion on top.

Tips

• Short on time? Use instant dashi granules (about 1 tsp per 500 ml water). For a vegan version, make the dashi with kombu and a few dried shiitake instead of bonito.
• Miso brands vary in saltiness: add three quarters, taste, then add the rest if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Chopstick Chronicles