Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Hinona Kabu Miso Soup
Prep time: overnight soaking
Cooking time 20 minutes
Serves 3-4
 
A lovely light & soothing vegetarian “dashi” broth is the base for this lovely soothing Japanese soup. Here dashi is married to gorgeous hinona kabu magenta-kissed turnips, with carrot, shitake & a little tofu for a delicate & very nourishing start to any meal. Miso is a live probiotic food, conferring delicious umami flavor & benefits to gut & overall health.
 
Ingredients
Dashi
Strip of dried kombu seaweed (4-5”)
4-6 small dried shitake mushrooms
 
Soup
½ cake of tofu (soft, silken or firm), sliced into bite-sized pieces
½ large Japanese or juicing carrot, sliced in half lengthwise, then in ½” slices
4-5 hinona kabu turnips, scrubbed to remove root hairs, sliced into ½” slices on the bias
2 cups packed hinona kabu turnip greens, in ½” chiffonade slivers
3 tbs white or saikyo miso, or to taste
Green onion, sliced thinly on the bias, to garnish (optional)
 
Directions
In two separate non-metallic bowls soak kombu & shitakes separately, each in 2 ½ cups water. Place in the fridge for 8 hours.
 
Discard kombu. Remove shitakes, slice, discarding the stems if not perfectly tender, reserve. Combine both broths. This is your dashi broth. Dashi is best fresh. It will last a few days refrigerated but is best to make the quantity you need every time you make a soup.
 
Heat dashi to a gentle simmer. Add turnips, carrot, shitake for 5 minutes. Then add the greens & gently transfer the tofu. Simmer gently until veggies are just tender.
 
Remove pot from heat (excessive temps will destroy the beneficial bacteria in the miso & alter its taste).
 
In a soup ladle or small sieve, add some of the miso: Dip ladle partially to allow some broth to mix in, stir with chopsticks to dissolve the miso, releasing it into the pot as you add more broth. If using a sieve, submerge sieve partially into the dashi, stirring with chopsticks to encourage the miso to pass through into the broth. Repeat until you reach desired strength of the broth. Very gently use the chopsticks to disperse the miso evenly into the soup.
 
Serve immediately. Garnish with spring onion,
if desired. Savor the aroma & flavor!