Dashi (or broth)
- 2 (4-inch) square pieces kombu– highly nutritious seaweed or kelp
- 2 1/2 quarts water
- 1/2-ounce bonito flakes or katsuobushi, about 2 cups (fish flakes usually tuna)… I tend not to use them..
Directions
Put the kombu sauce pan, cover with the water and soak for 30 minutes.
- Set the saucepan over medium heat until the water has small bubbles appear around the side of the pan.
- Remove the kombu from the pan but do not throw out. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the bonito flakes (if you want them). Simmer for 10 minutes stirring frequently
- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer (if you used the bonito flakes).
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week or freeze for up to a month. You can use Dashi as a base broth for a number of different dishes.
Miso Soup
- 1 quart Dashi (broth) either homemade or store bought.
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red miso- more salty
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso- more sweet
- Tofu cupbed
- Kombu seaweed cubed
- Chives chopped
** You can play with the miso to taste. They have different tastes and saltiness.Bring the dashi to slow simmer. Combine two kinds of miso in a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in several tablespoons of the dashi until the miso is a smooth paste. Stir the miso into the simmering dash add in chopped chives.
Add in tofu and kombu to serving dish and poor liquid on top. This is a very simple dish that has been adapted from Splendid Soups by James Peterson.
