Health Soup
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1package kombu (about 2 ounces, which is the size of a package)
- 4quarts water
- 2cloves garlic
- 2½cups dried bonito flakes
- ½teaspoon chile flakes
- ¼cup dried shiitake mushrooms
- 5tablespoons miso paste
- 3cups chopped greens, like broccoli rabe, kale or stemmed collards
- ½cup chopped scallions or spring onion
- 1tablespoon fish sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1tablespoon sugar
- 1block silken tofu, cut in half horizontally then into squares
- 4cups chopped cilantro, or combination cilantro and basil
- 1lemon
Dashi
Rest of Soup
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make dashi, either by following these instructions or by making 4 quarts instant. For homemade: Wipe kombu with a damp cloth, and break into a few pieces. Put in a pot with water. Bring almost to a boil, then turn off heat; remove kombu with tongs.
- Step 2
Add garlic, bonito flakes, chile and shiitakes. Bring to a boil, and let boil 30 seconds. Turn off heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain through a colander into a bowl. Put dashi back into pot.
- Step 3
Add miso paste, and bring to a boil. Add greens and scallions or onion. Cook 3 minutes. Add fish sauce, salt and sugar. Lower to a simmer. Add tofu. Cook at bare simmer 10 minutes. Turn off. Add herbs.
- Step 4
Just before serving, squeeze lemon juice into soup, to the sourness that you like.
Private Notes
Comments
I saw Ming Tsai do this and it is very effective: To add the miso at the end, place it in a small strainer and lower it into the broth, allowing the broth to almost fill the strainer (but not overflow). Use a small whisk to dissolve (may take raising and lowering the strainer several times). This allows you to effectively incorporate the miso into a soup that has other ingredients already in the broth.
Boiling the Miso will greatly diminish the health benefits. I always add Miso just after boiling to preserve all the enzymes. Also buy the least processed Miso you can find!
Everyone is right about not boiling the miso... And Japanese cooks wouldn't boil the bonito flakes or kombu either.... The soup should be made like tea... Hot boiling water, fish flakes (ussualy dried tuna) and sea weed... Steep for 5 minutes or so and you should be able to escape the bitterness that boiling would create. If you're a vegitarian like me you can skip the gold fish food and fish sauce by doubling up on the garlic and mushrooms and adding a bit of soy/tamari sauce.
What's a good replacement for Dashi?
I love making a big batch of this, I add seaweed and edamame when I add the kale. It’s incredibly warming, nourishing filling and I make it several times over the fall and winter months.
Oh wow this is excellent. I followed the tips, added miso at the end and poured over spinach, cooked noodles and cooked chicken. The squeeze of lemon is an essential step. Will be making again !
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