Miso Soup

I absolutely love Japanese food. Funny thing is, I HATE fish, therefore I hate sushi. So when out to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant here in San Diego, I have learned to try new things that don't involve fish, which leads to my new obsession: MISO SOUP. Not only is it delicious, it's low in calories and it's a perfect starter for a meal (to keep you from overeating). Occasionally I add soba noodles and have the soup as a meal, rather than an appetizer.

Although it looks difficult to make, miso soup is incredibly easy, it's getting the right ingredients that's so difficult. You will most likely have to go to an asian food store (i.e. Ranch 99) or a health foods store to get the ingredients, but once you do, it's smooth sailing.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Soy Bean Paste

3 cups water

1 tsp HonDashi fish soup stock (optional)

3/4 cup cubed tofu

chopped scallions for garnish

Bring 3 cups of water to boil, then add 1 tsp of the fish stock (the kind that I have looks like tiny little pebbles, and they dissolve once added to the water). Put 3 tablespoons of the soy bean paste in a small bowl and add some of the boiling water from the pot to the bowl, and dissolve the paste. Meanwhile, add cubed tofu to the boiling water and let cook for a minute or two. Then bring down the heat and add in the dissolved soy bean paste. Pour desired amount into a bowl, garnish with scallions and...Voila!