Aka Miso Shiru Red Miso Soup

Begin by making your kombu dashi. Place 700ml of water and 5g of kombu in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pot, just before boiling (around 80°C).

Once bubbles appear, remove the kombu from the pot. Do not let the dashi come to a rolling boil with the kombu in it, as this can make the dashi bitter. Keep the dashi warm over low heat.

While the dashi is warming, rehydrate the dried wakame by soaking it in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Once soft, squeeze out any excess water and set aside. Cut the silken tofu into 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) cubes.

Add the rehydrated wakame and cubed tofu to the dashi. Let them gently heat through for 2-3 minutes, ensuring the soup does not boil.

In a small bowl, scoop out 2 tablespoons of aka miso paste. Add a ladleful of the warm dashi to the miso paste and whisk until the miso is fully dissolved into a smooth slurry. This prevents lumps in your soup.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the dissolved miso mixture back into the dashi, stirring gently to combine. Do not boil the soup after adding the miso, as it can diminish its flavor and beneficial properties.

Finely chop the green onion. Ladle the Aka Miso Shiru into individual serving bowls.

Garnish each bowl generously with the chopped green onions and serve immediately. Enjoy your authentic Japanese red miso soup!