Miso Hungry

One of the true tests of a good sushi restaurant (for me at least) is whether or not they have tasty miso soup.  Recently I decided to try my hand at making my own version of this delicious Japanese soup.
The main components of miso soup are a good dashi (broth), and miso paste.  Miso paste comes from fermented soybeans, and it can come in a variety of different colors which generally indicate the strength of the flavor.  Usually the lighter in color, the sweeter in flavor.   For miso soup, I like to use Shiromiso (white miso).

The first thing you need to make is a nice flavorful dashi (broth).

Ingredients:

1 6-inch piece of Kombu seaweed (wipe clean with a damp paper towel)

4 cups water

5 oz. bonito flakes

Instructions:

Soak the Kombu in the water in a medium saucepan for ten minutes.  Bring this to a boil, then turn off the heat and immediately sprinkle the bonito flakes into the water.  Cover and let this sit for 15 minutes then strain.  This is your dashi in all of it's funky smelling glory.

                         For miso soup:

Return your dashi to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Put 3 Tablespoons of shiromiso paste into a cup and add some of the hot broth.  Stir until all of the miso is dissolved and add it to the rest of the dashi.  Spoon in two tablespoons of dried wakame seaweed.  It is important not to boil the mixture once the miso is added.  Also, don't be alarmed if the miso starts to separate out and settle as it sits.  Simply mix it back together when this happens.  I personally like to add some sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions to the soup.  Enjoy!!