Shiitake to tamanegi no misoshiru / miso soup with shiitake mushrooms and onion

The sweetness of onion is a good match for the earthy note of shiitake mushrooms. Another quick miso soup.

<Ingredients>

300 cc dashi
3 small or 2 medium shiitake mushrooms
1/4 medium onion
1 tbsp miso
1 green onion (green section)


<Directions>
1.

Remove stems of shiitake, cut off discolored stem ends as necessary, and slice lengthwise into 3 or 4. Slice umbrellas 3 mm or thicker.
Slice onion into a thickness that matches shiitake slices.
Thinly slice green onion.

2.

In a pot, put dashi, and bring to boil.

Add shiitake, and cook on medium high for 1-2 minutes.

Add onion, and cook another 1 minute or longer until achieving desired softness. 

3.

Meanwhile, take some dashi from pot and soften miso.

4.

Add miso, stir, and turn off heat.

5.

Serve in individual bowls, and garnish with green onion. 

<Notes>

• Slice both shiitake and onion according to your texture preference and available time. Thinner slices naturally cook faster, and they make this miso soup an almost instant production. However, slices that are too thin lose their texture easily, and the result would be a disappointment.
• Shiitake stems are where flavor is concentrated. They are somewhat tougher than umbrellas, so slice or tear them somewhat thinner.
• If you are not familiar with making miso soup, it might be wise to turn off heat before adding miso, in order to prevent the soup from boiling after miso is added. Miso soup tastes best when it reaches a temperature just below boiling after miso is added. Bringing the soup to a boil after adding miso is said to let the best aroma and flavor of miso escape. Keep this in mind when reheating miso soup, too.
• Other nice additions to this shiitake + onion combination include wakame seaweed, usuage thin deep-fried tofu, tofu, and leafy greens (as a main ingredient or as a garnish).