Vegan Miso Soup

Photo: Vegan Miso Soup
Miso soup consists of three elements - Dashi (broth), Gu (stuffing) and Miso. The recipe can be infinitely varied and experimented with. Add the miso at the end, when the water is cooler, to protect the live probiotics present in the miso.
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients

Dashi (Broth)

  • 1 x 5 inch piece kombu
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger - sliced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms

Gu (Stuffing)

  • 1 x 5 inch piece of wakame, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup of tofu (optional)
  • 1/2 cup of assorted, diced vegetables, e.g., onions, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant.

Miso

  • 1/2 Tablespoon of both white and dark miso + more to taste.

Garnish

  • 2 Tablespoons of scallions - finely sliced
Instructions
  1. Soak kombu and dry shiitake in 8 cups of cold water for 30 min.
  2. Heat. Remove kombu before the water boils.
  3. Boil for half an hour, then take out the ginger and shiitake. This is your dashi (broth).
  4. Cut the wakame into small pieces and soak to rehydrate.
  5. Bring the dashi to a boil. Add vegetables, adding the ones that take longest to cook first.
  6. Add tofu and wakame. Boil a further 5 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat. Allow the soup to cool a little. Take some of the liquid in a cup and mix in the miso until it’s a smooth paste.
  8. Add the miso paste to the soup. Taste and adjust to your liking.
  9. Garnish with finely chopped scallions and serve. Enjoy!