Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional by Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner
Book: Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional by Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner
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Authors: Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner
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minutes. Turn off the heat and make a paste of the miso and a little dashi (stock) in a separate bowl, then whisk or mix into the pot. Serve at once.
Alternate method:
For fresher tasting wakame with a less slimy texture, use a type of dried wakame that is frequently sold as “cut wakame.” It is finely cut and reconstitutes almost immediately in hot liquid. It can be added to the hot dashi (stock) along with the miso. Allow it to steep with the heat off for another minute. I prefer this type of wakame miso soup, although the first method is more traditional.
Wakame (a mineral-rich, leafy green sea vegetable) and tofu make a light addition to miso broth. Wakame comes in either a dried or fresh form, the latter being sold in the refrigerated section of Japanese food stores. Either form requires soaking in water before it can be used.
The fresh type is often packed in a lot of sea salt, which must be thoroughly rinsed off before using. Keep in mind that the dry form expands more than tenfold when soaked, so that only a small amount is needed.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Potato and Onion Miso Soup
Jaga-Jmo to Tamanegi no Miso Shiru
1 to 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 quart Konbu Dashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup medium or dark miso (light can also be used)
Simmer the potatoes and onion slices in the stock until tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and make a paste of the miso and a small amount of stock; whisk into the pot. Serve immediately.
Another cold-weather soup, hearty and full-flavored.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Miso Soup with Chard, Kale, or Bok Choy
3 cups roughly chopped chard, kale, or bok choy
1 quart Konbu Dashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup light miso
Simmer the greens in the stock for several minutes until tender. Turn off the heat and mix in the miso. Serve immediately.
A lighter miso soup for spring or summer.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions
¼ to ½ pound silken tofu
2 to 3 scallions
1 quart Konbu D ashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup light miso
Cut the tofu carefully into little ½-inch cubes. Sliver the scallions as thinly as possible.
Heat the dashi (stock) until it comes to a simmer. Add the tofu and allow to heat for a minute. Turn off the heat. Dissolve the miso into it, adjusting the amount to taste. Add the scallions and serve immediately.
This is a basic miso soup that can accompany anything. It’s my children’s favorite.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Dark Miso Soup with Nameko Mushrooms
Nameko-Jiru
3 cups Konbu Dashi (Konbu Stock), page 54
One 4-ounce can nameko mushrooms
¼ pound silken tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
to ½ cup dark miso
2 to 3 scallions, minced
Heat the dashi (stock) to a simmer. Add the nameko mushrooms and silken tofu cubes, and heat for a minute. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso in the soup, adjusting the quantity to taste. Add the scallions and serve immediately.
This miso soup made with a slightly slimy, albeit tasty, mushroom called nameko must be made with dark miso. Actually, the hot soup dissolves most of the sliminess of the mushroom, rendering a hearty, flavorful soup .
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Tofu and Vegetable Stew
Kenchin Jiru About 7 cups slivered, sliced, or diced vegetables: traditionally, taro root, carrots, daikon, potatoes, and something green, such as snow peas
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound tofu
6 cups Konbu to Shiitake no Dashi (Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Prepare the vegetables so that they are all roughly the same size and thickness (all root vegetables cut into matchsticks, or sliced, etc.) so that they will cook evenly.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Crumble the tofu by
Alternate method:
For fresher tasting wakame with a less slimy texture, use a type of dried wakame that is frequently sold as “cut wakame.” It is finely cut and reconstitutes almost immediately in hot liquid. It can be added to the hot dashi (stock) along with the miso. Allow it to steep with the heat off for another minute. I prefer this type of wakame miso soup, although the first method is more traditional.
Wakame (a mineral-rich, leafy green sea vegetable) and tofu make a light addition to miso broth. Wakame comes in either a dried or fresh form, the latter being sold in the refrigerated section of Japanese food stores. Either form requires soaking in water before it can be used.
The fresh type is often packed in a lot of sea salt, which must be thoroughly rinsed off before using. Keep in mind that the dry form expands more than tenfold when soaked, so that only a small amount is needed.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Potato and Onion Miso Soup
Jaga-Jmo to Tamanegi no Miso Shiru
1 to 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 quart Konbu Dashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup medium or dark miso (light can also be used)
Simmer the potatoes and onion slices in the stock until tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and make a paste of the miso and a small amount of stock; whisk into the pot. Serve immediately.
Another cold-weather soup, hearty and full-flavored.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Miso Soup with Chard, Kale, or Bok Choy
3 cups roughly chopped chard, kale, or bok choy
1 quart Konbu Dashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup light miso
Simmer the greens in the stock for several minutes until tender. Turn off the heat and mix in the miso. Serve immediately.
A lighter miso soup for spring or summer.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions
¼ to ½ pound silken tofu
2 to 3 scallions
1 quart Konbu D ashi (Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
tocup light miso
Cut the tofu carefully into little ½-inch cubes. Sliver the scallions as thinly as possible.
Heat the dashi (stock) until it comes to a simmer. Add the tofu and allow to heat for a minute. Turn off the heat. Dissolve the miso into it, adjusting the amount to taste. Add the scallions and serve immediately.
This is a basic miso soup that can accompany anything. It’s my children’s favorite.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Dark Miso Soup with Nameko Mushrooms
Nameko-Jiru
3 cups Konbu Dashi (Konbu Stock), page 54
One 4-ounce can nameko mushrooms
¼ pound silken tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
to ½ cup dark miso
2 to 3 scallions, minced
Heat the dashi (stock) to a simmer. Add the nameko mushrooms and silken tofu cubes, and heat for a minute. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso in the soup, adjusting the quantity to taste. Add the scallions and serve immediately.
This miso soup made with a slightly slimy, albeit tasty, mushroom called nameko must be made with dark miso. Actually, the hot soup dissolves most of the sliminess of the mushroom, rendering a hearty, flavorful soup .
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Tofu and Vegetable Stew
Kenchin Jiru About 7 cups slivered, sliced, or diced vegetables: traditionally, taro root, carrots, daikon, potatoes, and something green, such as snow peas
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound tofu
6 cups Konbu to Shiitake no Dashi (Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Prepare the vegetables so that they are all roughly the same size and thickness (all root vegetables cut into matchsticks, or sliced, etc.) so that they will cook evenly.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Crumble the tofu by
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