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per request by annie.
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skeleton of a miso soup
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2 trimmed leeks | dashi packet* | 1/2 onion (optional) | rice wine** | miso paste** | turnip, peeled and cut into irresistibly big ‘ole blocks
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optional additions: cooked salmon | kale | enoki, shiitake, or just plain white button mushrooms (any kind of mushrooms) | sliced green cabbage | soft little tofu cubes
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*note on what in the world is dashi : these usually consist of dried anchovy and dried kelp in a little teabag-like packet. dashi seems to be a fundamental ingredient in all homemade asian clear broth soups, if not all asian soups, period. they really anchor the flavor by preventing the highlighted flavor of the broth from loosely and directionlessly running around. dashi packets are sold in asian markets around the globe!
** the rice wine can be any white hued wine, really. preferably sake or mirin, and i like the korean ‘chungju’ bottle. but i used a dry white wine/vermouth because it was all i had.
*** note on when to add the miso paste : natural miso contains beneficial probiotic cultures, so it is best to “loosen” the miso into the hot broth with a spoon just before the soup is removed from the heat. miso’s health benefits are maximized when consumed raw, but considering this soup’s identity as a hot, steaming, comforting pot of a thing, that might prove difficult.
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bring water to boil with the dashi packet, trimmed leeks, and optional 1/2 onion inside. once boiling, add a swish of the rice wine or other white wine. add turnip blocks. add whatever other vegetables you so desire. when vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat. take a heaping spoonful of the miso paste and dissolve into the clear broth to make it clow-dee. cloudy. ideally, once the water boils, the stove should not be on for more that 10 minutes.
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Hooray for cloudy miso soup! Although you can’t really tell from the photo i took (see top of post) with all the turnip wedges, salmon filet, and kale that I added. I like to put a nice piece of fish in my bowl, then transfer the turnip wedges and ever-so-slightly-wilted kale from the pot (i like my leafy greens to still be crisp and lively), and the spoon some of the miso broth on top.
Okay you caught me. The miso “soup” is really just a vehicle in which to dunk the volume-heavy vegetables that I favor. But still… it’s as dreamy as cloudlandia!
