Miso Soup with Spring Greens

I really enjoyed the addition of greens to this dish, elevating it above a standard bowl of miso soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kombu seaweed
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup miso*
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 and 1/4 cups shredded and peeled daikon radish**
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion bottoms
• 2 cups trimmed watercress**
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops

1. Combine the kombu and the water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving the liquid; discard the seaweed.  Combine 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid with the miso in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk; set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the daikon radish, carrot, and green onion bottoms; cook for 3 minutes.  Add the reserved liquid that you haven't mixed with the miso; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the watercress and dill; cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the miso mixture, and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Sprinkle with the green onion tops.

Great accompaniments to this light, refreshing soup include quinoa and Asian-style baked tofu, such as the tofu lin from Soyboy.  I also liked leftovers for lunch the next day with vegan macro sushi.

*The recipe called for yellow miso, which is somewhere in between the sweetness of white miso and the more heavy, fermented taste of red miso.  My favorite miso brand, however - and the only one I know of that's organic - doesn't produce a miso labelled "yellow."  Rather, they have "sweet white" which is what I generally just think of as white miso, and "mellow white" which I essentially consider their "yellow" version.

**Daikon radish looks more like a long white carrot than like the radishes you're probably familiar with.  If you can't find it, you can substitute regular radishes, in which case just thinly slice them, instead of shredding them - no need to peel.  You can likewise substitute arugula or spinach for the watercress, if you prefer.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 52 

Tasting Notes:
It felt like an early wave of spring was just bursting out of this soup bowl.  What wonderful freshness from the watercress and radish, and a really lovely and unexpected touch of flavor from the dill.  The broth had just the rights hints of miso and seaweed, without being overwhelmed by either.

Rating:
4