Miso Soup with Tofu
Kombu dashi loosened with barley miso off the heat, with silken tofu and wakame. The two rules that decide it: pull the kombu before it boils, and never boil the soup once the miso is in.
- 1
Put the kombu and water in a saucepan and heat slowly over medium-low, 8 to 10 minutes, until small bubbles climb the sides. Lift the kombu out just before the water boils; boiling it makes the dashi slippery and bitter.
- 2
Add the wakame and simmer 2 minutes, until it unfurls and turns bright green. Slide in the tofu cubes and heat through for 1 minute without stirring hard enough to break them.
- 3
Take the pan off the heat. Ladle a little of the hot broth into a small bowl, whisk the miso into it until completely smooth, then stir that mixture back into the pan.
- 4
Do not return the soup to a boil once the miso is in. Scatter the scallions over and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 1 (4 inch) piece kombu
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons dried wakame
- 7 ounces silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons barley miso
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
Put the kombu and water in a saucepan and heat slowly over medium-low, 8 to 10 minutes, until small bubbles climb the sides. Lift the kombu out just before the water boils; boiling it makes the dashi slippery and bitter.
- 2
Add the wakame and simmer 2 minutes, until it unfurls and turns bright green. Slide in the tofu cubes and heat through for 1 minute without stirring hard enough to break them.
- 3
Take the pan off the heat. Ladle a little of the hot broth into a small bowl, whisk the miso into it until completely smooth, then stir that mixture back into the pan.
- 4
Do not return the soup to a boil once the miso is in. Scatter the scallions over and serve immediately.