Miso Soup With Mixed Seasonal Vegetables Recipe

By
Mari Uyehara
Mari Uyehara
Mari Uyehara was previously a senior editor at Saveur, Time Out New York, and Martha Stewart Living Radio, and her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and Epicurious. Her column on American food in TASTE won a James Beard Award in 2019.
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Updated August 29, 2018
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Vicky Wasik

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

Active 20 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 4 servings

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

  1. 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.)

  2. Add katsuobushi to water and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let dashi stand 10 minutes.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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