Like miso broth, dashi is another traditional Japanese stock that may be embellished in a number of ways, or eaten as is. It also makes a good base for certain Asian vegetable soups. Look for the sea vegetable kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in Asian groceries or in natural food stores.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 cups

　　One 32-ounce carton low-sodium vegetable broth plus 2 cups water, or 6 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

　　2 strips kombu (sea vegetable), each about 3 by 7 inches

　　6 to 8 dried shiitake mushrooms

　　

Step 1

Combine the broth and kombu in a 2-quart saucepan or small soup pot. Bring to a simmer.

　　

Step 2

Add the mushrooms to the broth, remove from the heat, and let stand for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Remove the kombu from the broth and discard. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Trim them of their tough stems and save the caps for another use, or slice them and return to the broth.

　　

Variations

Step 4

Dashi with noodles: Simply cook a quantity of Asian noodles (like soba) in the broth. Once they are al dente, remove the soup from the heat, season to taste with natural soy sauce, and serve immediately. Garnish each serving with some finely chopped scallion.

　　

Step 5

Dashi with miso and vegetables: Use the broth to simmer any quantity of thinly sliced vegetables, such as carrot, cabbage, daikon radish, turnip, etc. Once the vegetables are just done, add 2 to 4 tablespoons miso, to taste, dissolved in just enough warm water to make it pourable. Stir in the sliced shiitake mushrooms from the preparation of the broth. Remove from the heat and serve at once.

　　

Nutrition Information

Step 6

Per cup:

　　

Step 7

Calories: 23

　　

Step 8

Total fat: 0g

　　

Step 9

Protein: 1g

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 11

Carbohydrate: 5g

　　

Step 12

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 248mg

　　Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons