Japanese cuisine is becoming increasingly popular in the modern world. These days, many people are interested in how to make miso soup. "What it is?" - you ask. This dish is a traditional Japanese dish. It was invented 750 years ago during the times of the samurai. The secrets of creating this dish at home will be discussed in our article.
Miso paste
Japanese miso soup is made from the paste of the same name. The recipe for the dish will be outlined below. First, we will talk about the composition of the unique product that is miso paste. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting wheat, rice, barley and soybeans. It contains a lot of vitamin D and A, as well as calcium, iron and zinc. There are several types of pasta. They vary in color, taste and aroma. Accordingly, miso soup can be completely different. To prepare it, paste made from soybeans, wheat, and rice is used. It is generally accepted that the most delicious Japanese soup is made from red miso paste.
Miso soup - general principles of preparation
Miso soup is a popular Japanese dish made with miso soybean paste. Miso is a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans, barley, rice and wheat. Miso paste is very healthy as it contains more vitamins A and D, iron, zinc and calcium. Since there are several varieties of miso, differing in taste and color, many varieties of miso soup can be prepared. To prepare the dish, soy miso, wheat miso, rice miso, and a mixture of different types of pasta are used. It is believed that red miso paste is best suited for miso soup.
Miso soup is also useful because it is most often prepared from seasonal vegetables - this explains the high content of vitamin C, fiber and carotene in the dish. In addition, it is known that miso paste is very rich in proteins, lecithin, glutamic acid and many beneficial microorganisms that contribute to better absorption of food and normalization of the gastrointestinal tract. Miso paste itself varies in color and comes in shades from light yellow to brown, red and almost black. The consistency also differs: the paste can be very smooth and elastic, or, on the contrary, more viscous and grainy. Miso most often has a weak and delicate aroma, although some varieties smell very pungent and piquant. The taste of Japanese miso soup can be saltier, more delicate, sour, or a little sweet, since types of miso paste come in exactly the same taste.
Miso soup can be prepared from seaweed, vegetables (daikon, spinach, cauliflower, potatoes, onions, turnips, etc.), mushrooms and meat. In recipes you can often find chicken, pork, fish (for example, perch or salmon) and a wide variety of seafood (shrimp, octopus, squid, clams, crabs, etc.). Miso soup is often supplemented with tofu, a major source of protein for millions of people.
In Japan itself, miso soup is eaten at any time of the day: for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The dish is most often served before the main course.
About the benefits of the dish
The Japanese consider miso soup extremely healthy. You already know what it is. But why is this dish credited with miraculous properties? It turns out that it is prepared mainly from seasonal vegetables, rich in vitamin C, fiber and keratin. In addition, miso paste is rich in glutamic acid, proteins, lecithin and a large number of beneficial microorganisms that promote good absorption of food.
Food preparation
In order to prepare miso soup at home, you need to know how to properly process the ingredients for this dish. Greens and vegetables must be chopped in accordance with the recipe. Dried mushrooms and vegetables must be soaked in hot water before use. Seafood (such as shrimp) should be cleaned, rinsed, chopped and lightly simmered in dashi broth. In order to prepare this liquid, you need to purchase special granules and carefully dissolve them in boiling water. Tofu cheese should be cut into small, neat cubes.
Miso soup with pork
Ingredients:
- Boneless pork – 200 g.
- Daikon – 50 g. This plant tastes very similar to radish. You can easily find it in large supermarkets.
- Miso paste – 2 tbsp.
- Green onions – 1 piece.
- Sesame seeds – 1 tsp.
- Parsnip – 1 piece.
- Shiitake mushrooms – 4 pieces.
- Sesame oil – 20 ml.
- Dashi broth – 10 ml.
- Tofu cheese – 125 g.
- Water – 600 ml.
Preparation:
- Beat the meat a little with your palm or a flat board. Do not use ground chops. Cut the piece of meat into slices across the grain - as thin as possible.
- Grind the tofu cheese into cubes 1-.5-2 cm thick.
- Peel the daikon, cut into circles 1.5 cm thick. Then cut each circle into cubes.
- Peel the parsnips and cut them lengthwise into two equal parts. Then chop into semicircles with a thickness of 8-10 mm.
- Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and cut the caps into 4 pieces.
- Fry the pork in heated sesame oil until cooked (until it turns light and all the blood has coagulated).
- Add parsnips, daikon.
- Mix water and broth. Pour over pork and vegetables.
- Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat. Skim off the foam until the broth becomes clear. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
- Pour 30 ml of broth into the miso paste and stir until smooth.
- Add the resulting mass to the broth and stir.
- Add finely chopped green onions and immediately pour the soup into bowls.
- Serve the soup sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Some Japanese studies suggest that regular consumption of miso soup may reduce the risk of breast cancer. So this dish is not only tasty, but also very beneficial for women's health.
How to make tofu soup
- First of all, you need to take a pan and fill it with water. Then bring the liquid to a boil and add dashi granules to it. Once they are completely dissolved, you can proceed to the next stage of preparing the soup.
- Now switch the stove to moderate heat and add the tofu cut into small cubes into the pan with dashi.
- Then the dried seaweed must be filled with a small amount of water. After they are soaked, you need to squeeze out the excess water and add the seafood to the pan with the soup. The dish should be cooked for another two minutes.
- At this time, you need to dilute the miso in a separate bowl. To do this, add a little dashi broth to it and stir the paste until smooth.
- Now you need to remove the pan from the heat and add miso to it. All ingredients should be mixed thoroughly. After this, the soup can be poured into bowls.
Japanese miso soup with tofu is ready! Before serving, it must be sprinkled with green onions.
Recipe 1: Miso soup
The simplest recipe for the popular Japanese miso soup. Now, to try a traditional Japanese dish, you don’t need to run to a restaurant - the dish can be easily prepared at home. Those who watch their figure and avoid high-calorie foods will especially like the soup.
Required ingredients:
- Half a glass of soybean paste (miso);
- One and a half teaspoons of dashi (traditional Japanese broth);
- Tofu cheese, cut into cubes - half a cup;
- Several green onions;
- 4 glasses of water;
- Special dried seaweed (for soup) – 1 tbsp. l.
Cooking method:
Take a small saucepan, pour in water and set to boil. Add one and a half teaspoons of dashi to boiling water. In general, you can buy broth in the form of a ready-made seasoning or prepare it yourself. To make dashi broth at home, boil kombu seaweed in boiling water. As soon as the granules dissolve, you need to throw the tofu cubes into the boiling broth, first reducing the heat. Pour the dry seaweed into a separate bowl and add a little water to soak it. Then you need to drain the excess water from the seaweed and add it to the soup. Cook the soup for another 2 minutes. At this time, take the soybean paste and dilute it with a small amount of broth until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and add the miso paste. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into a serving bowl. Serve miso soup with chopped green onions.
Miso soup with pork and spinach. Cooking method
- First, cut the pork into thin strips and fry in sunflower oil.
- Then the spinach should be separated from the stems, washed and briefly boiled in boiling water, then plunged into ice water. Then the product needs to be cut into pieces three to four centimeters long.
- Now boil the dashi broth in a saucepan and add the enoki and fried pork into it. Products must be cooked until fully cooked.
- Next, remove the soup from the heat, add soybean paste and stir the ingredients until smooth.
Chicken miso soup with mushrooms
Ingredients:
- Water (or mushroom broth) – 300 ml.
- Chicken fillet – 100 g.
- Carrots – 20 g.
- Champignons – 50 g.
- Light miso paste – 40 g.
- Rice vinegar – 20 ml.
- Cilantro – 5 g.
- Green onions – 10 g.
- Rice noodles – 80 g.
- Chili pepper – 0.3 pieces.
Preparation:
- Cut the carrots into thin strips.
- Cut the chicken fillet into thin strips. Brush with rice vinegar and let soak.
- Cut the mushrooms into slices.
- Finely chop the green onions.
- Cut the chili pepper into several pieces.
- Bring water or broth to a boil. Place rice noodles in it and boil for 3 minutes.
- Add chicken fillet, carrots, mushrooms. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Add miso paste. Cook, stirring until it is completely dissolved.
- Pour the soup into a bowl, garnish with cilantro, onions and chili peppers.
Useful tips
- Miso paste should never be boiled. It should always be added to the hot broth at the very end of cooking and stirred thoroughly.
- When making soup, it is important to maintain the required proportions. For one liter of dashi broth, you usually use 150 grams of miso paste.
- In addition to the main ingredients, the dish must contain at least two more products that differ in shape, color and consistency.
These are the simple rules you need to follow to prepare real miso soup. We now know what it is and how to cook it. Be sure to try to surprise your family and make a traditional Japanese dish at home. Bon appetit!
White miso soup with wakame
Since the main ingredient of this variation is white miso, the white miso soup will have a milder taste than the previous one. World recipes with the addition of wakame (or wakami) seaweed, as well as green onions, add character to the dish. The finished dish reveals its flavor better when served hot.
For the soup:
- 1/4 tbsp. shiromiso (white fermented soybean paste);
- 1/2 tbsp. dried wakame (a type of seaweed);
- 6 tbsp. Katsuo Dashi;
- 200-250 g tofu;
- 1/4 tbsp. green onions.
For Katsuo Dashi:
- 20 g katsuobushi (dried mackerel flakes);
- 0.9-1 l. water.
White miso soup with wakame
Cooking order:
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
- Just before the water comes to a boil, add the katsuobushi and bring it back to a boil, skimming occasionally as it forms.
- When the dashi comes to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer for just 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
- Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom. This process will take no more than 10 minutes.
- Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring cup (discard the katsuobushi). Katsuo Dashi is ready to use or store in a glass jar with a closed lid.
- Pour some warm water into a bowl and soak the wakame for 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve and set aside.
- Dissolve miso paste in 1/2 tbsp. Dashi.
- Pour the remaining dashi into the pan and heat until hot.
- Add wakame and tofu, cut into small cubes.
- Simmer for one minute, then remove from heat.
- Add the miso mixture and chopped or diced scallions.
- Pour into a bowl and serve hot.
