Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup - NOBU フルーツトマト赤だし

Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup

My newest cookbook is Nobu's Sushi Cookbook (in Japanese). The photos are gorgeous and  so detailed when it comes to making nigiri and roll sushi. The English version should be coming out this spring, so be sure to look out for it.

The first recipe we tried was perhaps the easiest, Tomato and Miso Soup. The tomato is from Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu. The miso is an aka dashi, made from soybeans that is slightly heady and intense. The sweetness and acidity from the tomato was perfectly balanced by the dark, red miso. It is simply garnished with hana hojiso, the flowers from the shiso plant, that adds a hint of shiso.

We were in a rush and didn't have time to make dashi from scratch so we used Marukome liquid miso (マルコメ液みそ　赤だし).  The liquid miso includes dashi so we cooked the tomato and then added the liquid miso diluted with some hot water. To the table in minutes.

And herein lies the brilliance of Nobu Matsuhisa. Simple ingredients combined for a winning dish. We had this for breakfast and it was so addictive that we made it for lunch. Had there been any more tomatoes in the refrigerator.

Also from his cookbook: Clear Soup with Chysanthemum Petals

NOBU no Sushi, in Japanese is available in bookstores throughout Japan. Look for the English version this spring around the world.

Popular Miso Soup Ingredients

1The Asahi Shimbun reported on September 15th, 2012, results from a survey of the most popular fillings for miso soup. Many are as one would expect:

11.    Tofu

22.    Wakame

33.    Abura-age (deep-fried tofu)

44.    Asari (Japanese littleneck clam)

55.    Shijimi (corbicula clam)

66.    Nameko mushroom

77.    Naganegi (Japanese leek)

88.    Jagaimo (potato)

99.    Tamanegi (onion)

110. Daikon

111. Nasu (eggplant)

112. Tamago (egg)

113. Fu (wheat gluten)

114. Satoimo (taro root)

115. Enokidake mushroom

116.  Satsumaimo (sweet potato)

117. Myoga ginger

118. Kabocha squash

119. Mitsuba (trefoil)

220. Kyabbetsu (cabbage)

221. Kani (crab)

The popular tofu (including abura-age) and wakame will mix with a variety of other fillings. These two are also affordable and easy to work with in the kitchen so quick to get onto the table. Most likely, these are also in the house and available.

Asariand shijimi are great for making a naturally flavorful broth. Some people don’t bother eating the meat of the clams, but for some, especially children, digging out the meat is part of the fun.

Surprising fillings that did not make the top twenty, but are sometimes used, include cucumbers for a light soup and tomatoes for its sweetness and acidity. Both of these vegetables also suit a chilled miso soup. Tomatoes are famous for being paired with miso as both are rich in umami so it's no surprise to see it used.

When I am in a rush to get a bowl of soup on the table, I often use Marukome ekitai miso. It is a liquid miso that includes dashi. Simply cook the fillings in water and add some of the liquid miso.

Many responders replied that almost anything can be put into miso soup. I personally love tonjiru, a hearty miso soup with thinly sliced pork, gobo, konnyaku, potatoes, carrots. Meat in the soup makes it rich and the different vegetables and konnyaku add a texture that is missing from more simple soups.

But most of the time it's very basic vegetables from the list above. Some responders like to make miso soup filled with a variety of vegetables. My cousin is one of those people. Usually five to six vegetables. I always look forward to having miso soup at her home.