Japanese Miso Soup with Tofu & Wakame (Kombu Dashi)

Ingredients

For 3 portions

• 🪸 8g kombu
• 🥤 850ml tap water
• 🪸 5g wakame
• 🌾 200g tofu
• 🥣 45g miso
• 🧅 25g spring onions

Method

1. Make the kombu dashi: wipe the kombu with a damp cloth (don't wash off the white powder – it's flavour). Put it in a pot with the water and soak for at least 10 minutes (or up to a few hours for a deeper flavour).
2. Heat slowly over medium-low heat. Just before the water boils – when tiny bubbles appear around the edge, after 8–10 minutes – remove the kombu. Boiling it makes the dashi slimy and bitter.
3. Soak the dried wakame in a little cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and finely slice the spring onions.
4. Add the tofu and wakame to the hot dashi and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat. Put the miso in a ladle or small sieve, lower it into the soup and whisk with chopsticks until fully dissolved. Never boil the soup after adding miso – it dulls the flavour.
6. Taste and add a little more miso if you like it saltier.
7. Ladle into bowls, top with spring onions and serve immediately, as a starter or with rice.