So a little more complicated, a recipe from the New York Times. Delicious and worth pulling together. I’m finding lots of dried shiitakes these days at local farmers markets – a great way for the farmer to add value to shiitakes he/she might not have been able to sell fresh.
If you prefer, use instant dashi for the whole kombu/bonita flake thing. All available at Sevananda or wherever you buy such things.
Ingredients:
1 package kombu (about 2 ounces, which is the size of a package) 4 quarts water 2 cloves garlic 2 1/2 cups dried bonito flakes 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes 1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms 5 tablespoons miso paste 3 cups chopped mustard or collards, stems removed 1/2 cup chopped scallions or spring onion 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 block silken tofu, cut in half horizontally then into squares 4 cups chopped cilantro, or combination cilantro and basil 1 lemon
Preparation:
Make dashi: Wipe kombu with a damp cloth, and break into a few pieces. Put in a pot with water. Bring almost to a boil, then turn off heat; remove kombu with tongs. Add garlic, bonito flakes, chile and shiitakes. Bring to a boil, and let boil 30 seconds. Turn off heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain through a colander into a bowl. Put dashi back into pot.
Add miso paste, and bring to a boil. Add greens and scallions or onion. Cook 3 minutes. Add fish sauce, salt and sugar. Lower to a simmer. Add tofu. Cook at bare simmer 10 minutes. Turn off. Add herbs.
Just before serving, squeeze lemon juice into soup, to the sourness that you like.