Ingredients:

  • 5 cups Water
  • 1 piece (10g) Kombu (Dried Kelp)
  • 1 cup lightly packed Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes)
  • 4 Tablespoons Miso Paste (Awase or White/Shiro)
  • 1 block (12-14 oz) Silken Tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 cups Spinach or Komatsuna, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Scallions (Green parts only), thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Soak Kombu: Place the kombu in the saucepan with the cold water. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes.
  2. Gentle Heat: Place the pot over medium-low heat. Heat slowly until tiny bubbles just begin to form around the edges of the kombu (do not boil).
  3. Remove Kombu: Just before the water reaches a simmer, carefully remove and discard the kombu.
  4. Boil & Steep: Bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in the katsuobushi flakes. Let steep undisturbed for 5 minutes.
  5. Strain: Pour the entire mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard the katsuobushi to yield clear dashi stock.
  6. Simmer Solids: Return 4 cups of the strained dashi to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the cubed tofu and the chopped greens. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the greens are bright green and slightly wilted.
  7. Temper the Miso: Crucially, remove the saucepan from the heat entirely. Place the measured miso paste into a small bowl. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot dashi into the bowl and whisk until the miso is completely smooth and dissolved.
  8. Incorporate Miso: Pour the smooth miso mixture back into the main pot. Stir gently to combine. Do not bring the soup back to a boil once the miso is added.
  9. Serve: Ladle immediately into bowls and garnish generously with sliced scallions.