Inspired by the ever-changing seasonal miso soup that Okonomi restaurant in Brooklyn serves for breakfast, this bright, colorful version is a celebration of market produce. You can swap out the vegetables in this recipe for trimmings from last night's dinner, or use whatever is in season—just be sure to use a mix of colors and vegetable parts, such as a leaf, a root, and a stem.
Recipe Details
Miso Soup With Mixed Seasonal Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce dried kombu (14g; about one 6- by 5-inch piece), rinsed in cold water
- 3 1/2 cups (830ml) cold water
- 1/2 ounce katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings) (14g; about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (22g) shiro (white) or other mild miso (see note)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (22g) aka (red) or other dark miso (see note)
- 1/2 of one watermelon radish or 1 whole small radish, cut lengthwise into wedges, then sliced crosswise very thinly
- 2 large bok choy stalks (with leaves), 3 Swiss chard stems (without leaves), or 4 kale stems (1 1/2 ounces; 50g), sliced very thinly
- 12 pea shoots, thick stems picked
- Yuzu, lemon, or lime juice (optional)
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine kombu with cold water and cook for 8 minutes over medium heat; lower heat to prevent it from exceeding a bare simmer. Remove kombu with tongs and discard or reserve for another use. (Kombu can be sliced thinly and tossed into a salad.)
Add katsuobushi to water and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let dashi stand 10 minutes.
Strain dashi through a fine-mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl; discard katsuobushi. Transfer dashi to a clean saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk both misos with just enough dashi to form a thin paste. Stir miso paste into dashi until incorporated.
Ladle dashi into warmed bowls, garnishing with radish, greens or stems, and pea shoots. Add a few drops of citrus juice to each bowl, if desired. Serve right away.
Special equipment
Fine-mesh strainer
Notes
This recipe calls for a mix of two types of miso for more depth of flavor, but if you want to use just one, substitute 3 tablespoons awase miso, which is a combination of shiro (white) and aka (red) miso.