Recipe: Miso soup with crispy age tofu, nappa cabbage and green onions

Miso soup with crispy age tofu, nappa cabbage and green onions

Total time:

30 minutes

Servings:

4

Note:

Do not reheat the miso soup after the miso has been added; the flavor diminishes with reheating. Miso paste is generally available in the Asian sections of well-stocked supermarkets, as well as at Asian markets; age tofu (deep-fried tofu) is available at Japanese markets.

1 quart dashi

3 to 4 tablespoons miso paste (red or white or koji miso paste), or to taste

2 age tofu

1 to 2 leaves nappa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ½-inch thick strips, or any greens of your choice.

2 green onions, sliced thinly to garnish

1. In a toaster

or using a dry frying pan, lightly toast the

age

tofu until it's crispy and slightly toasted but not dry. Slice crosswise into one-half-inch pieces.

2. In a medium saucepan,

bring

dashi

to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the nappa cabbage and continue to cook for a couple of minutes to wilt the cabbage.

3. Add the miso

to the

dashi

, stirring to blend in until the miso is dissolved. (The miso can be dissolved with a little

dashi

in a separate bowl before adding it into the

dashi

.)

4. Just before serving,

top the soup with the sliced crisp tofu, and garnish with sliced green onion.

Each serving: