Miso Soup

No, and that is why the method drops the heat to medium before the paste goes in and only simmers gently for 2 to 3 minutes at the end. Boiling drives off miso's aroma and leaves it flat and harsh. Bring the water and dashi to a boil first, then keep it below a boil once the miso is whisked in.

White miso is the mildest and sweetest and is the usual choice for a soup like this. Red miso is saltier and much stronger, so use less than the full 3 tablespoons if that is what you have. Awase, a blend of the two, sits between them and is a safe default.

Simmer a piece of kombu in the 4 cups of water, with bonito flakes if you have them, to make dashi from scratch. For a vegetarian version use kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito. Worth knowing: most instant dashi granules contain fish, so the soup is not vegetarian as written.

Yes, and it holds together better if you find silken cubes breaking up when you stir them in. Silken is traditional here because it is soft enough to barely register against the broth. Dice either one the same way and add it at the same point.

That is normal, since miso is a suspension rather than something that dissolves, so it separates as the soup stands. Whisking it in off the boil, as the method says, disperses it properly to begin with. Stir the pan again before you ladle each bowl.

It is best fresh, but it keeps covered in the fridge for a day and reheats fine as long as you warm it gently and do not let it boil. Add the green onions when you reheat rather than before, so they keep their bite.