Everyday Healthy! Everyday Delicious! From the Kitchen of Janice Feuer Haugen Tofu Wakame Miso Soup and Dashi, Too Miso soup is an essential part of traditional Japanese breakfasts. And, often served for lunch or dinner as well. Tofu Wakame Miso Soup is a classic combination. For a heartier soup, other items can be added for color, texture and flavor as well. I occasionally include soba noodles (cooked separately), sliced shiitake mushrooms, carrots, daikon and/or baby spinach. Makes 4 servings Start to Finish: 10 minutes 1/3 block organic firm tofu (4-5 ounces) cut into ¼-inch cubes 2 green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal 3 ½ cups dashi stock (recipe below) 1 ½ tablespoons dried ready-to-use wakame 3 ½ tablespoons miso (your choice of a single variety or a mixture) 1. Heat the dashi in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. (Cook optional add-ins in the dashi now.) 2. Stir in the tofu cubes and dried wakame. When heated through, reduce the heat to low. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso with ¼th cup of the hot broth until smooth. Stir this mixture into the soup. Remove the soup from the heat. 4. Taste the soup. If it tastes too intense, add more dashi. If too mild, add a little soy sauce or more miso (first dissolved in a little of the broth). 5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the sliced scallions. Serve immediately.

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Kombu and Bonito Dashi – Basic Fish Stock Dashi is a seaweed and fish-based stock used as the foundation for many, many Japanese recipes. Whether for simmering, poaching, flavoring, marinating or for dipping sauces, stews and soups, dashi is an essential ingredient. The ingredients are simple—kombu (dried kelp) and katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes). Dashi can be made in advance and refrigerated up to a week. There are two types of dashi. Ichiban dashi (primary dashi). Delicately flavored it is used for clear soups. This is the dashi regarded as the chef’s signature. Niban dashi (secondary dashi). With a stronger flavor as the kelp is simmered, this dashi is often used for miso soup as well as for everything but clear soups. Note: I don’t know if this is traditional, but I combine both the primary and secondary dashi for making Tofu Wakame Miso Soup.

Primary Dashi The key to good, clear dashi is not to boil it for more than a couple of seconds while kombu or bonito flakes are in it. Otherwise it becomes cloudy and bitter tasting. 16 to 20 square inches dried kombu 6 cups water 1 cup loosely packed bonito flakes 1. Place the kombu and water in a pot. For maximum flavor, soak the kombu for at least 15 minutes. (Some people say as long as overnight.) When the kombu has softened, use scissors to make a few cuts on each sheet of kombu. This helps the kombu release more of its flavor. 2. Place the pot over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Just until small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the edge of the pot. 3. Remove the kombu and set aside for secondary dashi. 4. Put the pot back on the heat and bring it to a boil. Drop the bonito flakes into the center of the stock. Immediately turn off the heat. 5. Wait until the bonito flakes sink to the bottom of the pot. Larger flakes may take about 10 minutes. Then slowly strain the dashi through a fine strainer to remove the bonito flakes. Reserve the bonito flakes for secondary dashi. Secondary Dashi Prepare secondary dashi immediately after making primary dashi. 1. Place the reserved kombu and 6 cups of water in a pot. Cook at a very low simmer for 15 minutes. 2. Add the reserved bonito flakes and immediately turn off the heat. Strain the dashi and discard the kombu and bonito flakes.

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