Miso Soup & Green Beans with Miso Dressing
We finish our exploration of soyfoods with two simple Japanese recipes using miso. First we'll make a tasty vegan version of the iconic miso soup that almost everyone in Japan eats at least once a day. In it we'll not only use our home-made miso but our home-made tofu as well. This soup is infinately variable and can be changed to fit whatever fresh, seasonal ingredients you may have on hand -- remember that there are Japanese cookbooks that provide recipes for a different miso soup for every day of the year. Be adventureous! Shitake and Tofu Miso Soup6 dry shitake mushrooms Soak shitake in hot water for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and reserve water for shitake dashi; slice shitake into 1/8” wide slices. Cut tofu into ¾” cubes. Make shitake dashi.
Bring dashi to a simmer. Add in sliced shitake and tofu. Reduce heat so that it is at a low simmer and mix in the miso. Make sure that the broth does not boil. Add in the slivered leeks and sesame oil. Serve hot. Last, here's a very simple green-bean sunomono that takes only a minute or two to assemble. Green Beans with Vinegared Miso Dressing
3 tablespoons miso Mix together miso, vinegar, sugar, and garlic in a small saucepan and gently heat while stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the garlic well mixed into the sauce. Blanch or steam the green beans until bright green but still crisp. Cool under running water, drain, and dress with the miso sauce. Serve at room temperature. |
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