Serves two
Miso should be in everybody’s pack, along with a little seaweed and dried fish. It is worth its weight in gold. It can make a complete meal or could be a broth before a meal. It’s a very good hot broth by itself for quick energy. Good for breakfast, too.
• 4 by 4-inch piece of kombu (seaweed)
• 3 tablespoons dried fish flakes OR handful iriki (small dried fish)
• 2 tablespoons miso
• 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 4 cups water
Combine water, kombu, and fish flakes. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Return to heat. Stir in miso or strain in, if desired, until all is dissolved into the soup. Add tamari and serve.
Variations: add 8 ounces noodles at the beginning; drop in Fish Dumplings at the beginning and cook 10 minutes in all; add any wild greens when finished, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving; add dried shrimp at the beginning or canned fish or shrimp at the end; see Seaweed Soup and Watercress Soup.
Garnishes: chopped mountain sorrel, watercress, miners lettuce, borage; sliced lemon; wild onions, sliced very fine; broken pieces of zwieback; popcorn; dried chives; Parmesan cheese.