Miso Soup
A traditional miso soup in Japan is usually a thin broth made from fish stock, with only a scant garnish of wakame seaweed, small cubes of tofu and sliced spring onions. This recipe is more hearty. The vegetables are cooked on a low heat to create a sweet stock which is then seasoned with miso. It can be adapted for many different combinations of vegetables.
1½ litres water
1 onion, sliced
Several slices of fresh ginger
400g pumpkin, chopped into bite-size chunks
¼ cup dried wakame seaweed, soaked for 15 minutes in 2 cups water
¼ cauliflower, cut in to pieces
3 Tbsp miso (approx.)
1 spring onion, sliced.
1)Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onion and ginger. Turn down to a moderate heat and cook for several minutes.
2) Add the pumpkin chunks and return the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
3) Drain the wakame, and add to the soup with the cauliflower.
4) Bring it to a boil once more and simmer until the cauliflower is cooked.
Keep the soup on a low heat. Put about 2 Tbsp miso in a small bowl and add some of the liquid from the soup. Mix the miso until it is a thin paste then add to the soup. TASTE the soup. Ideally you want a very slight salty taste to the soup, but not too strong — the dominant flavour should be the sweetness from the vegetables. Add more miso if necessary then simmer a minute or so longer.
5) Serve in individual bowls. Garnish with sliced spring onions.
