Before you make your miso soup, you need to make the soup base. Dashin is a very simple stock, all it involves is boiling kombu or konbu (kelp) with bonito (tuna) flakes and dried shitake mushroom.

There are many different varieties of kelp or Japanese seaweeds and can be quite confusing if you are simply asking for Japanese seaweed. Most Asian shops that stock Japanese products will carry kombu or konbu. Likewise bonito flakes.

This version has been adapted from what was originally used to make the soup base namely, kombu, dried sardines and dried shitake mushroom.

Ingredients for Dashin:

1 piece of kombu

1 packet (3g) bonito flakes

1 dried shitake mushroom

Method:

• Boil all the above in 4 cups of water.
• Reduce to simmer when it has been boiling for about 5 minutes.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Strain off the kombu, bonito flakes & mushroom.

Ingredients for Miso: serves 2

2 cup of dashin stock

100g soft tofu (suitable for soups or steaming)

1 tablespoon miso paste

small amount of wakame or arame seaweed (others if  these 2 are not available or preferred)

Method:

• Cut tofu into small cubes. If you like lots of tofu like I do, you can add more to the recipe.
• Bring dashin stock to boil with tofu for about 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• Mix the miso paste in a small bowl with some of the stock until it dissolves.
• Add the miso & seaweed to the soup.
• Ladle into bowls to serve. You can add cut spring onions if you like.