Miso soup

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 600 ml water
• Dashi, instant, quantity according to package instructions for 2 servings
• 2 tsp spice paste (miso), light
• 100 g tofu, in small cubes
• 2 spring onions, cut into rings
• 10 leaves of Wakame, dried
• 6 mushrooms (shiitake), dried, cut into fine strips
• 100 g salmon fillet(s), alternatively beef fillet, in fine strips
• 100 g noodles, Japanese (Udon, Soba etc.), cooked, possibly chopped
• 1 tsp chives
• Fish sauce or soy sauce
• 1 egg(s), beaten, as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

clear Japanese fish soup with various garnishes

Heat water with dashi in a large pot, add tofu cubes and shiitake mushroom strips (it’s best to cut them with scissors!), and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Add onion rings and simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. Add salmon or beef fillet strips and, if desired, beaten eggs, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix miso paste with a little soup until smooth and add. Add cooked noodles and wakame leaves to the soup and bring back to a boil. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with chives. Fish stock can also be used instead of water and dashi. For flavor reasons, I would only use vegetable or meat broth in a pinch—this is a fish and soy-based soup. The individual ingredients can be varied or omitted. With all the trimmings, you get a stew that can serve as a main course. With just tofu, shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, egg, and/or wakame, the soup can be served very well as part of a Japanese meal. The slimmed-down soup also tastes great as a warm accompaniment to sushi.