Miso Soup

The Best Miso Soup

I love Japanese food and my wife and I order sushi quite often but one thing I like to get, as an appetizer, is Miso Soup. If you don’t don’t know what Miso is, I can tell you that it’s a Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed or other ingredients. There’s several different varieties of Miso but the most common are white and red. I’ll be demonstrating how to make Miso Soup using the red Miso and I’m going to show you how to make a soup with the most basic ingredients,Tofu and Green Onions.

Dashi ingredients, Kombu and Katsuobushi.

Dashi Fish Broth

Most soups are made from broths or stalks and this recipe is no different. The broth that needs to be prepared for this Miso Soup recipe is called Dashi and it’s really easy to make. All you have to do is combine Kombu(dried Kelp) and katsuobushi(bonito flakes or dehydrated Skip Jack Tuna) with boiling water and let it steep, like tea, for 10 minutes. If you don’t know what these ingredients are or where to find them, you can go to any Asian market and ask the attendants. I buy them both dehydrated and I just reconstitute them with the boiling water. The water absorbs the flavor, like tea, and creates the broth called Dashi. Then, all you have to do is strain the broth to make the Miso Soup.

Be sure to try my Red Sauce Wonton and my Wonton Soup Recipe.

Extra firm Tofu and fresh chopped Green Onions.

Tofu and Green Onions

As I mentioned above, there are several different varieties of Miso and there are also several different Miso Soups. If fact, eventually I want to show you how to make a spicy Beef Ramen Miso Soup that I think is just amazing but I’ve got to teach you the basics first so you understand recipe like that one, later. So today I’m going to teach you how to make a Miso Soup with Tofu and Green Onions.

Miso Soup Ingredients:

2 cups dashi
1 Green Onions, chopped
4 oz Tofu, Extra Firm
3 Tbsp miso

Dashi
4 cups water
1 oz kombu (dried kelp)
1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (1 loose cups = 10 g)

Just watch the video tutorial and I’ll show you just how easy it is to make Dashi and this Tofu and Green Onion Miso Soup.

Summer Rolls

Summer Rolls Ingredients:

Rice Paper (as many as you want)
Rice Noodle,
Shrimp, 3 to 4 per roll
Carrots, 1 tbsp per roll
Radish Sprouts, 6 to 8 per roll
Bean Sprouts, 4 to 5 per roll
Shitake Mushrooms, 3 to 4 per roll
Green Onion, 1 four inch cut per roll
Roman Lettuce 1 per roll
Water, for Rice paper and Rice noodle
Cooking Oil, for noodles

Rice Noodle should be cooked first. Just follow the package instructions but strain and add a few tbsp of cooking oil and mix thoroughly to prevent noodles from sticking. Rice paper should be rehydrated in a 1/2 inch of water for 10 seconds just before you start each individual Summer Roll. Then load each Roll with your favorite ingredients, starting with the meat first. Fold the sides in and then the back and roll the Rice Paper forward, tightly to finish and serve with Peanut Sauce, Sweet Fish Sauce, Orange Chili Sauce or Potsticker Dipping Sauce.

Shrimp Dumplings and Dipping Sauce

Amazing Shrimp Dumplings

If you love Shrimp, you’re going to love these Shrimp Dumplings. They’re a lot like Gyoza, or what most people call Pot Stickers, only better. Just imagine biting into one of the largest seasoned Prawns you can think of. Now picture it wrapped in a Steamed Wonton Wrapper and pan fried to perfection. I don’t know about you but that’s my idea of great recipe. The only thing missing is something to dip them in but don’t worry I’ve got you covered. As a bonus, I’ve included a Potsticker/Shrimp Dumpling Sauce recipe down below, with a video tutorial to go along with it, so there’s no room for error. After you try that you’ll never eat Pot Stickers or Shrimp Dumplings again without it!

Shrimp Dumplings Ingredients:

2 lbs Ground or Minced Shrimp
1 pkg Wanton Wraps (Nasoya)
1 chopped Green Onion
1 tbsp fresh Cilantro
2 tsp fresh chopped Ginger
1/4 cup chopped julienne Bell Pepper
1/4 cup chopped Carrot
2 chopped Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp White or Black Pepper (Which ever you have)

Potsticker and Shrimp Dumplings
Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 part Sugar
1 part Warm Water
1 part Soy Sauce
1/2 part Rice Wine Vinegar
1 chopped Garlic Clove
1/2 fresh chopped Cilantro
1/8 tsp Chili Flakes or Chili Oil

Follow the video tutorials and enjoy your Shrimp Dumplings and Dipping Sauce.