How To Make Miso Soup

Step 1: You will need:
5 g dried seaweed (wakame) 120 g fresh soft tofu or long life silken tofu 400 ml dashi OR 400 ml (14.1 fl oz) of water and ½ tsp powdered dashi 1 ½ tbsp miso paste 2 medium spring onions 1 measuring jug 1 saucepan 1 small bowl 1 cup 1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon 1 sharp knife 1 chopping board

1. Step 2: Heat the Dashi

   Pour the dashi into a large sauce pan, place it on the hob and turn the heat up high

2. Step 3: Soak the wakame

   Meanwhile put the 5 grams or 0.2 oz of dried wakame in a small bowl, and add enough water to cover it well. The seaweed will soak up the water and expand.

3. Step 4: Melt the miso

   Put one and a half tablespoons of miso paste in a cup, add enough spoonfuls of dashi from the pan to melt it. Give it a good stir to make sure it is thoroughly dissolved. Then pour into the pan and stir.

4. Step 5: The tofu

   Cut the tofu into cubes of about 1 cm, or half an inch square. 120 grams or 4oz is a good guide for this recipe but you can add more, or less depending on your taste. Add it to the saucepan and turn the heat down.

5. Step 6: Add the wakame

   Finally add the soaked wakame and leave the soup on a low heat for a couple of minutes to warm all of the ingredients. Do not let it boil as this will impair the flavours.

6. Step 7: Serve the Miso Soup

   Turn off the heat and ladle the soup into individual bowls. Finally, chop the spring onion, add to the bowl and serve. Traditionally Miso soup is eaten at the end of a meal, or as a nutritious breakfast. To enjoy it the authentic way, use chopsticks for the solid ingredients and sip the liquid straight from the bowl.