Country-style Miso Soup

"Usually Miso soup is brothy with just a garnish of vegetables. This heartier country-style version is made with lots of vegetables. Mild white or pale yellow miso won't be as overpowering in this soup as the stronger-tasting red or brown miso would be."

• 10 cups water
• 4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 ounce wakame leaves
• 1/4 head napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips
• 1 (5-inch) piece daikon radish, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 4 stalks celery, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 4 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1 1/4 cups white or yellow miso
• 3 green onions (white and green parts), thickly sliced diagonally

METHOD

Combine 5 cups of the water and the mushrooms in a bowl. Combine the remaining 5 cups water and the wakame in another bowl. Let each stand for 1 hour, or until each is tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a work surface and thinly slice them. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the wakame to the work surface. Cut away and discard the center veins, then cut the leaves into bite-size squares.

Using a coffee filter or lining a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth, strain the mushroom and wakame soaking liquids into a heavy stockpot. Add the mushrooms, wakame, cabbage, radish, celery, carrots, and onion. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Remove from the heat.

Prepared up to this point, the soup will keep for 1 day, covered and refrigerated. Before continuing, bring the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, rest a sieve atop the pot of hot soup, submerging the bottom of the sieve into the soup. Stir the miso in the sieve, dissolving it into the soup. Stir the soup to fully blend in the miso. Don't allow the soup to boil vigorously once the miso has been added, since doing so destroys some of the nutrients in the miso.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle with the green onions and serve.

Serves: 8 to 10

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Reprinted with permission from ©Ann Gentry, The Real Food Daily Cookbook, published by Ten Speed Press

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