Authentic Miso Soup Recipe Japan, Asia

Served either as a breakfast or an appetizer, miso soup or misoshiru reflects the elegance of Japanese cuisine in its purest form. The preparation starts with dashi, a simple broth made from dried or dried and smoked fish (sardines, kelp, and skipjack tuna) or mushrooms (shiitake). Next, some miso paste — red, white, mixed, or other variations — is dissolved in some dashi. The mixture is then added to the rest of the dashi and brought to a simmering point. The next step is to include solid ingredients such as tofu, vegetables, algae, meat, fish or clams, which are put into the simmering soup until they are cooked or warmed. The miso soup is always served hot, usually with a bowl of rice: the Japanese drink the soup first and then eat the solid ingredients with chopsticks.