10 Minute Meal - Miso Soup

1. Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
2. Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion.
3. Cut ¼ block soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) into small cubes.
4. Add 2 cups water and 1 dashi packet to a saucepan on the stovetop or an electric pot. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot. If you're using dashi powder, bring water to a boil. Add the powder to boiling water and it's ready to use.
5. Shake the dashi packet with your chopsticks to release more flavor into the stock. Once the stock reaches a boil, remove the dashi packet.
6. Add the tofu cubes and ½ Tbsp dried wakame seaweed.
7. Completely dissolve 2 Tbsp miso in a ladleful of stock, then stir it into the broth. You can also use a miso muddler or fine-mesh miso strainer to dissolve the paste. Bring the miso soup to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat. DO NOT let the miso soup boil.

To Serve

1. Serve immediately in individual miso soup bowls and garnish with sliced green onions.
2. Place on the right side of the table setting; you can read about this in my post Ichiju Sansai (One Soup Three Dishes).

To Store

1. It‘s best to consume all the miso soup right away because it will lose its aroma and taste as time passes. Let the soup cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze miso soup for up to 2 weeks, but remove the tofu as its texture changes when frozen. Reheat in a pot over medium heat until just hot, but do not boil it. Miso loses its nutrients, flavor, and aroma at high temperatures.