Basic Miso Soup | Temple Food

There are a few dishes which come to my mind instantly when I think Asian. They are dim sum, steam fish and miso soup. Dim sum are too complicated and covers a wide spectrum to be making at home. Steam fish is what I live on; we’ve mastered the execution of a perfect branzino or trout in the convection steam oven. See an earlier post. On the other hand, a basic miso soup is what everyone should get acquainted to before going off to college.

A homemade miso soup is a no brainer. Furthermore, it beats anything similar that comes in a plastic bowl, aluminum can or a bag of instant noodle.

I’m not the only one saying that. Mark Bittman is quoted to say: “With all due respect to packaged ramen, this is probably the best “instant” soup there is.”

Making it is like making tea. Start with boiling some water. Then add in the miso paste. In its simplest and traditional form, add cubes of soft tofu and slices of scallion. It’s simple to do even for the infrequent homecooks.

When you’re in the mood of something more substantial: add your favorite protein and other vegetables: bean sprouts, peas, or carrots. For some umami flavor, any kind of mushroom is always a good choice. By and large, I like adding a soft-boiled egg and nothing else. A minimalist zen approach that’s immensely calming and nurturing — like walking into a Buddhist temple.

Print Recipe

Miso Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup any miso
• 1 ⁄ 2 pound any tofu, cut into small cubes, optional
• 4 scallions, chopped

Instructions

1

Put 6 cups water in a large pot over medium heat. When steam rises from the surface of the liquid and small bubbles appear along the edges of the pot, ladle 1 ⁄ 2 cup of the water into a small bowl with the miso and whisk until smooth.

2

Lower the heat under the pot to medium-low and add the miso slurry; stir once or twice, then add the tofu if you’re using it. Do not let the mixture boil; let it sit for a minute or two to heat the tofu through. Stir in the scallions and serve.

Notes

Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman