Nearly Instant Miso Soup with Tofu
“Real” Miso Soup is a little more complicated than this quick version, which begins with dashi, a basic Japanese stock made with kelp (kombu) and flakes of dried bonito (a relative of tuna). Although dashi has definite character and is easy enough to make, it is a light stock, pretty much overpowered by the miso anyway. So I just whisk or blend a tablespoon of miso into a cup of water and put my energy into turning the soup into a meal, adding cubed tofu and a couple of vegetables at the last moment. If you don’t find tofu alluring, you might throw some shrimp or boneless chicken into the soup, where either will cook in a couple of minutes. The only trick lies in getting the miso to dissolve properly, creating a smooth, almost creamy soup rather than a lumpy one. But this is in fact a snap: you just whisk or blend the miso with a few tablespoons of hot water before adding the rest of the liquid. Any cooking from that point on must be gentle to preserve the miso’s flavor and aroma.
Buy traditional, unpasteurized, even organic miso, which is common enough, inexpensive enough (it’s tough to spend more than $8 on a pound of miso), and better than quick-made miso, which is comparable to quick-made Parmesan or quick-made wine. All miso has a long shelf life, keeping for at least several months in the refrigerator with little or no loss of quality. Traditionally, thick, dark brown hatcho miso is used to make soup, but the lighter varieties, which are more often used to make dressings and sauces, are fine too.
