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Ingredients
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Dashi (Broth)
Soup Components
Method
Make Dashi (Broth)
Combine and soak kombu
Place 6 cups of cold water in a medium saucepan. Wipe the kombu lightly with a damp cloth (do not scrub off white powder). Add the kombu to the water and let it soak for 20–30 minutes to extract flavor (you can skip soaking and heat directly if short on time).
Heat and remove kombu
After soaking (or immediately if skipping soak), set the saucepan over medium heat and slowly bring to just below a simmer. Remove the kombu when small bubbles form around the edges (do not let the water boil with kombu in it) — about 5–10 minutes after heating begins.
Add bonito flakes and strain
Once kombu is removed, bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and add 1 cup bonito flakes. Let simmer very gently for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn off heat and let the bonito steep for 3–5 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl, pressing lightly on the solids to extract flavor. Discard the solids. This strained liquid is your dashi. Keep it warm.
Prepare Soup
Rehydrate wakame
Place 2 tsp dried wakame in a small bowl and cover with cool water for 5 minutes until rehydrated and expanded. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
Warm dashi and add optional seasonings
Return the warm dashi to medium-low heat. If using, stir in 1 tsp mirin. Keep the dashi warm but do not let it boil.
Dissolve miso
Spoon 6 tbsp white miso paste into a small heatproof bowl or ladle. Ladle about 1/2 cup of warm dashi into the bowl and whisk or stir until miso is fully dissolved into a smooth slurry. This prevents clumping and overcooking the beneficial enzymes in miso.
Combine miso with dashi
Turn heat to low. Pour the miso slurry back into the pot of warm dashi, stirring gently to incorporate. Do not allow the soup to boil after adding miso; keep it below simmer to preserve flavor.
Add tofu and wakame
Gently add the 7 oz cubed tofu and the rehydrated wakame to the miso soup. Warm through over low heat for 1–2 minutes until tofu is heated but not broken apart. Avoid vigorous stirring.
Adjust seasoning
Taste the soup and, if desired, season with up to 1 tsp white pepper and a pinch more miso (dissolve additional miso the same way) or a little soy sauce to taste. Keep heat low; do not boil.
Serve
Ladle the miso soup into four bowls and garnish each with about 3 tbsp thinly sliced green onions. Serve immediately while warm.