Miso Soup with Yuzu Kosho

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Start the Dashi

1. In a measuring cup (or a large pot), add 4 cups water and 1 piece kombu (dried kelp). Let it steep overnight (if possible) or as soon as you start preparing this dish. This is kombu dashi or Vegan Dashi. Tip: Alternatively, you can make dashi with dashi powder or a dashi packet.

To Prepare the Ingredients

1. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Cut ¼ lb sliced pork belly into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
2. Cut 1 leek in half lengthwise, and then cut the halves into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces widthwise. Rinse under cold water to make sure there is no dirt in the leek layers.
3. Cut 2 leaves green cabbage into small pieces.
4. Remove the stems of 4 pieces shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps thinly.
5. Cut 2.5 oz carrot in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Cut 2 green onions/scallions thinly.

To Finish the Dashi

1. Transfer the vegan kombu dashi to a soup pot or donabe. Slowly bring the kombu dashi to a boil over medium-low heat. When the water is almost boiling, remove the kombu to avoid sliminess. If you are vegan/vegetarian, skip the next two steps.
2. Add 3 cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and cook for 15 seconds. Then, turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi steep in the pot for 15 minutes.

To Cook the Miso Soup

1. Meanwhile, in a separate large pot (or donabe), heat 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the pork belly and stir to cook.
2. Once the pork belly is 80% cooked through, add 1 Tbsp sake and stir to combine. Then, add the chopped leeks.
3. Once the leeks are wilted, add the rest of the vegetables and mushrooms. Stir to coat with the oil. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the dashi into the pot (or add the dashi you made with dashi powder or a dashi packet).
4. Bring the soup mixture to a boil, skimming the foam and scum from the surface while cooking. Turn off the heat. Add half of the 4 Tbsp miso first, and then gradually add in more as you taste the soup. Each brand and type of miso tastes different and the sodium level varies, so you want to taste the soup before adding more miso.
5. To the soup, add 14 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu), cut into cubes. Turn on the heat to continue to simmer until the tofu is warm (tofu is edible chilled, so you don’t have to worry about “cooking” it). Do not let the miso soup boil. It should take no more than 3–4 minutes to warm the tofu. The soup is now ready.

To Serve

1. Before serving, scoop out a small portion of yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) from the jar and place it on a small plate. Grind 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and put it in a small bowl. Serve them alongside the soup pot or donabe. After you ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, add a pinch of Yuzu Kosho, sprinkle some sesame seeds, stir in, and enjoy!

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks.