Happy Miso Soup from Cookus Interruptus

Miso Happy Broth
This version of miso soup was created by the lovely, talented Siona Sammartino and me one Friday during Whole Foods Cooking lab and named by Jane. The deeply-flavored broth is nourishing on many levels. Try it and see.

1 tablespoon unrefined sesame oil
1 yellow onion, cut in half moons
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons unrefined toasted sesame oil
6 cups water
1 4-inch piece of wakame
1 3-inch piece of ginger, sliced
½ cup bonito flakes
½ cup brown miso
½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½ "cubes

Garnishes:
2 scallions, finely chopped
2-3 leaves of bok choy, cut in thin ribbons
Unrefined hot pepper sesame oil or hot sauce

Choose a heavy bottom soup pot; cast iron or enameled cast iron work well. Heat oil in the pot for about a minute. Add onions and allow them to slowly cook on low heat until they brown, only stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. For more on how to caramelize onions, watch this. Add carrots and allow to soften and brown as well, for about 10 minutes. Finish sauté by adding toasted sesame oil.

Deglaze pot by adding water and scraping up browned vegetable bits from bottom of the pot into the water. Add wakame, ginger and bonito flakes. Simmer and allow flavors to infuse broth for at least 20-30 minutes uncovered.

Get a second soup pot and pour broth through a large mesh strainer into it. The vegetables are basically "spent" as their nutrients and flavor have gone into the broth, though you may think of another use for them. Add tofu to the broth. Clean out the large strainer. Place the miso in it and lower it into the broth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula dissolve the miso into the broth by pushing against the strainer. A second option is to put 1-2 tablespoons of miso into each serving bowl, add some broth and stir to dissolve; this would be of interest if you are not planning to eat all of the soup in one sitting. Be careful not to heat the miso to boiling or the beneficial bacteria will be lost. Fill each serving bowl with broth and tofu and garnish with scallions, greens and a drop or two of hot pepper oil.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Makes 4-6 eight ounce servings

Copyright 2010, C. Lair, S. Sammartino, Original recipe

Check out more recipes at www.cookusinterruptus.com