Miso Soup: The Traditional Way

Miso soup is basically based on Miso, a fermented soybean paste that has been around in Japan for centuries. Although originating from China, this ingredient got more popular in Japan and a refined manufacturing process started by Buddhist monks. It became a staple diet of samurai military, and today it is recognized as a nutritious soup with good anti-cancer health benefits. It is usually further innovated with more ingredients and vegetables to add more to the taste. It also creates a unique soybean aroma when it is prepared. Miso soup is normally consumed with chop sticks, and the residual soup is drunk directly from the bowl. They say in Japanese culture, slurping from your bowl of soup shows you really appreciate the taste of the soup and thus taken as a compliment. The only difficulty in making this soup is finding the right ingredients, but if you know a Japanese store nearby, then you are in luck.

...adds the flavor to the same named miso soup

Miso Soup Ingredients

5 grams of dried seaweed (also known as wakame)

120 grams of soft tofu (preferably fresh)

400 ml of dashi (a kind of fish stock, which you can also get in powdered form)

1.5 tbsp. of miso paste

2 spring onions

Equipment:

Saucepan

Small bowl

Cup

Measuring jug

Tablespoon

Sharp knife

Chopping board

Miso Soup Directions

Pour the dashi in to a measuring jug up to 400ml and then spill it into the saucepan on high heat. Take the sea weed crumbles in to a cup and soak it into water and after a while it will expand. Take 1.5 tablespoons of miso paste into a cup and melt it by adding heated dashi into that cup. Stir the dash solution until the paste is dissolved and pour it back to the saucepan and stir to dissolve with the rest of the dashi.

Take out tofu and slice it in to cubes of 1cm if it is in a box packet. If you got in the form of noodles then that will work too, make sure you just take out 120 grams of tofu for an ideal taste. Add the tofu pieces in to the saucepan and turn the heat down.

In some time the sea weed must have expanded and now you can add it to the fish stock solution in the saucepan. Maintain the saucepan in a low heat to warm up all the ingredients. Avoid boiling the solution as it will impair the flavors.

The soup is ready to serve in individual bowls. Chop the spring onions and put them as a topping in each bowl.

Miso soup in Japanese Bowls

Miso Soup Tips and Facts

• Traditionally miso soup is eaten at the end of a meal
• Miso soup is also consumed as a breakfast
• According to Japanese culture, the pieces in the soup are consumed by chop sticks and the liquid is drunk straight from the bowl
• You can also use Konbu (or sea salad) water by adding the leaf in to the soup and them removing it when the soup is ready
• You can also use chopped scallions as a topping for the soup
• You can also bonito flakes for better taste
• You will find most of the ingredients at most health food stores
• You can vary the amount of miso paste and tofu to your liking