Karifurawaa to kimuchi no tonyu misoshiru / soy milk miso soup with cauliflower and kimchi

A cream-colored miso soup with fresh soy milk. The mild spiciness of kimchi gives a nice twist and warms up your body. A good winter soup.

<Ingredients>

Small handful cauliflower (Romanesco in photo)
Tiny handful (50 g) hakusai napa cabbage kimchi
1 green onion (green section)
150 cc dashi
150 cc additive-fee tonyu soy milk (see Notes)
1 tbsp miso

<Directions>
1.

Divide cauliflower into flowerets. Squeeze out extra liquid and chop kimchi into a size matching cauliflower. Thinly slice green onion.

2.

Heat dashi in a pot, put cauliflower, cover and simmer until tender, for several minutes. Add dashi or water if liquid evaporates too fast.

3.

Add miso.

4.

Add kimchi and soy milk, and heat until just before boiling.

5.

Serve in individual bowls, and garnish with green onion.

<Notes>

• The pepper in kimchi warms up your body, and its effect is magnified when used in warm soup.
• The soy milk I use is made with soybeans and water only, and the above amount contains about 2 mg sodium. Store-bought soy milk in the US usually contains salt and sugar (and flavors, even when labeled as "plain"), and its sodium content averages around 100 mg per 240 cc. Additive-free soy milk probably is available at Asian grocery stores in the US. In Japan, look for soy milk that says 成分無調整 [lit. ingredients not adjusted], which implies soybeans and water are the only ingredients (tofu grade) and there are no additives such as sweetener and oil.

(Last updated: June 29, 2015)