My Mom's Miso Soup
SKU:
Mom always describes this using its Japanese name, miso shiru. She says everything in it is good for you, and that it's so easy, everybody should know how to make it.
Easily made into a very clean-eating and satisfying dinner by simply adding a few noodles or an egg.
Perfect for a cold day, feeding your cold, or any time you need comfort food.
Ingredients
|
About 8 cups of water
¼ cup of white miso 1-2t Hon Dashi (granules) Highly Recommended Minimum Add-ins Tofu, drained and cubed Green onions, chopped |
Mom's Special Add-ins
1 bundle of somen 1 egg (stir-in scrambled or drop-in poaching) |
What To Do
To prep, cube up a block of tofu, and let it drain in a colander for a bit. Chop green onions and set aside.
Boil about 8 cups of water. Add ¼ cup miso and 1 teaspoon of dashi. Mix well and taste. If it is bland to your taste, add one more teaspoon of dashi and heat until just boiling.
Add tofu right before serving, give it a good final stir, and ladle into individual bowls. Add green onions to individual bowls. This is to that green onions keep their color and don't go slimy.
We slurp it straight from the bowl. Spoon optional.
As it cools miso soup will separate into a clear broth and miso. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Boil about 8 cups of water. Add ¼ cup miso and 1 teaspoon of dashi. Mix well and taste. If it is bland to your taste, add one more teaspoon of dashi and heat until just boiling.
Add tofu right before serving, give it a good final stir, and ladle into individual bowls. Add green onions to individual bowls. This is to that green onions keep their color and don't go slimy.
We slurp it straight from the bowl. Spoon optional.
As it cools miso soup will separate into a clear broth and miso. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variation on a Theme: Mom's Special Add-ins
For a fully loaded miso soup, I recommend including some or all of these in addition to tofu and green onions.
Adding somen
If you add eggs, do so after adding tofu and somen.
Adding a poaching egg
This is my favorite add-in
Keep soup at a full but gentle boil and carefully crack the egg into the soup. Do NOT Stir.
Let it be at the gentle for about 2-3 minutes so it holds together, longer if you want a completely hard boiled yolk.
Adding a scrambled egg
This makes a miso egg flower kind of soup.
Beat an egg in a separate bowl and then swirl it into the gently boiling miso soup.
Again, do this AFTER you've added somen.
Otherwise the the raw scrambled eggs will cling to the still-cooking somen and it will be supremely icky.
Remember, green onions always go last into individual bowls.
Adding somen
- Keep miso boiling and swirl in a bundle of somen. Stir while boiling for 1-2 minutes, until the somen is just done.
- Add water as needed if you want a thinner broth.
- Keep to 1 teaspoon of dashi. Somen has a little bit of a salty flavor, so you will likely not need any more seasoning.
If you add eggs, do so after adding tofu and somen.
Adding a poaching egg
This is my favorite add-in
Keep soup at a full but gentle boil and carefully crack the egg into the soup. Do NOT Stir.
Let it be at the gentle for about 2-3 minutes so it holds together, longer if you want a completely hard boiled yolk.
Adding a scrambled egg
This makes a miso egg flower kind of soup.
Beat an egg in a separate bowl and then swirl it into the gently boiling miso soup.
Again, do this AFTER you've added somen.
Otherwise the the raw scrambled eggs will cling to the still-cooking somen and it will be supremely icky.
Remember, green onions always go last into individual bowls.
Notes and Talking Story
- In addition to Campbell's chicken noodle soup, miso soup was my mom's "pencillin."
- She fed these two items to us whenever we were sick. Miso soup was the go-to whenever you had a stomach flu.
- I ate it so much as for awhile, I didn't like tofu because I associated with being sick to my stomach.
- However, we all love miso soup, any day, any time.
