Miso Soup with Daikon

Instructions

1. Prepare the daikon
   Peel the daikon radish and cut it into ½-inch cubes. Rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. If the daikon has a strong flavor, you can parboil it for 2-3 minutes and drain before adding to the soup.
2. Prepare the dashi
   If using homemade dashi, combine kombu and water in a pot and heat until just before boiling. Remove the kombu, add bonito flakes, bring to a boil, then strain. If using instant dashi, follow package instructions to make 4 cups of stock.
3. Cook the daikon
   Add the daikon cubes to the dashi stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the daikon is tender when pierced with a fork but still holds its shape.
4. Prepare the miso
   In a small bowl, take about ½ cup of the hot dashi and whisk in the miso paste until smooth with no lumps. This prevents the miso from clumping when added to the soup.
5. Add remaining ingredients
   Reduce heat to low (the soup should not boil after adding miso). Add the dissolved miso paste back to the pot. Gently stir in the tofu cubes, wakame seaweed (it will expand in the soup), and optional grated ginger and sake. Simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Finish the soup
   Turn off the heat. If using, add a small drizzle of sesame oil for extra flavor. Taste and adjust the miso seasoning if needed, adding more for a stronger flavor.
7. Serve
   Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls. Garnish with sliced green onions and nori strips if using. Serve immediately while hot as part of a Japanese meal.