Miso soup

• 1 l4 1/4 cups water, soft water if possible
• 15 g1/2 oz kombu (dried kelp), a piece about 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 in), wiped with a damp cloth, not washed
• 15-20 g1/2-3/4 oz (about 2 loosely packed cups) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
• 60-80 g3 1/2-4 1/2 tbsp miso, awase (blended), shiro (white) or aka (red) miso; amount depends on its saltiness
• 150 g5 oz tofu, silken (kinugoshi) or firm (momen), in 1-1.5 cm (1/2 in) cubes
• 2 g1 tbsp dried cut wakame seaweed, soaked 5 min in water and drained
• 1 negi (Japanese leek) or 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Method

1. 1

   1. Put the kombu in a pot with the water and leave it to soak for at least 30 minutes.

2. 2

   2. Set the pot over low heat and warm it slowly. When small bubbles cling to the kombu, just before the water boils, lift the kombu out.

3. 3

   3. Bring the water to the boil, add the katsuobushi all at once and take the pot off the heat (or simmer it for no more than a minute).

4. 4

   4. Leave it until the flakes sink, 1-2 minutes, then strain the dashi through a sieve lined with paper towel or cloth. Let it drip; do not squeeze the flakes, which clouds the stock and makes it bitter.

5. 5

   5. Measure 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) of the dashi back into the pot and heat it. Add the tofu and warm it through for a minute or two over medium heat.

6. 6

   6. Turn the heat low. Put the miso in a ladle or small strainer, lower it into the pot and dissolve it with chopsticks or a spoon, stirring until no lumps remain. Taste and add a little more miso if needed.

7. 7

   7. Add the wakame and heat until the soup is steaming and just about to bubble (nie-bana, 'the moment of boiling'). Do not let it boil, or the miso loses its aroma.

8. 8

   8. Ladle into lacquer or wooden bowls, scatter over the negi and serve at once, with rice.