When I was first asked to write an article on miso soup - I had no idea what it was. I figured it was some kind of soup - and that apparently it was supposed to be pretty good for you - but I most definitely had to do my research on this one!
To tell the truth, I have never tasted miso soup. But I will do my best to try cooking some - or buy some in the near future.
Basically it is made by mixing up some miso paste with some stock called dashi. That is the essential soup - but many other ingredients can be added. This depends on region, season, availability, preference etc. The dashi is made out of sardines, kelp, skipjack tuna and mushrooms. It is all blended up to create a paste. Other ingredients can be added like: tofu, seaweed, potatoes, mushrooms, onion, shrimp, fish, daikon, spring onion, chili, carrot - etc. The Japanese like to mix up the variety by having lots of contrasts in the soup. There should be heavy and light, vegetables that float, some that sink. Powerful flavor with light flavor - and ingredients with different textures.
I get the impression that it is a very light soup that is intended to be flavorsome and nutritious without weighing one down. It is most definitely not your traditional Western ‘comfort food’. However, I would say that it could easily become a favorite comfort food. It requires a lot of experimentation and trialling different ingredients to find a favorite and get the recipe down pat.
You can buy the miso and the dashi in stores and can add them to your soup. However, be sure to do it the correct way! The vegetables or the solid ingredients ought to be simmered slowly in some of the dashi - while the miso and some more dashi are being heated very gently. Do be careful because if the miso is boiled - it can kill the goodness in it and reduce the health benefits.
Apparently Japanese eat miso soup nearly every day since it is so easy to make and so nutritious. I’m really keen to try make some of my own now! I’ll have to find the pastes that don’t contain msg - be sure to read packets carefully. Serve the soup with rice if you like - or even have it for breakfast like the Japanese do!
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weelittleme 06.10.08 at 2:18 am
Miso soup is one of my favourites. I lived in Japan for 4 years and ate it all the time. Definitely good advice to not boil the miso. It will get bitter if you do. What I do simmer the other ingredients in the dashi like you say and then turn off the heat, stir in the miso and voila.
Even easier are the little instant packets of paste you can get as individuals servings. They have the dashi already mixed in and can be prepped like regular instant soup.
Miso is a great thing to post about… I hope lots of people try it! Thanks for reminding me to make some… I think I will go do so soon!!!