It’s that time of the year again when heavy jackets, rubber sole boots and furry hoods are accompanied by one of my favorite seasonal dishes – soup. Soup by definition is a liquid food made by boiling or simmering meat, fish, or vegetables with various added ingredients. In other words if you have the basic understanding of boiling water and flavor combinations then soup should be right up your alley. However, some may say that preparing a delicious and a well balanced soup is only reserved for the experienced and the professionally trained. I disagree and I am sure that there are many of you who watched your mothers and grandmothers prepare some of the most mouthwatering creations would disagree as well.

This post is not about the soup and sandwich special at your local lunch spot, but a warm and hearty interpretation that’s perfect for the freezing days ahead. The preparation is extremely simple, but the key is fresh and organic ingredients.

Carrots

Celery

Onion

2 striped bass heads

1 rainbow trout head

1 skate wing

Dashi Miso Soybean Paste

Vitasoy Firm Tofu

Konnyaku Yam Noodles

Cut Wakame Dried Seaweed

At this point, you are probably wondering about the fish heads, but don’t worry you can make your stock with the skate wing alone. I happened to have bought live striped bass and rainbow trout and saved the fish heads for this very purpose. So, throw some carrots, celery, an onion and fish heads into a pot, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, At this point, add the skate and continue to cook on simmer for the next 40 minutes. After an hour of cook-time, remove the cooked vegetables from your stock and add Dashi Miso, Firm Tofu and Yam Noodles. Cook for an additional 10 minutes and you’re done.

A couple of cooking point when preparing my version of the classic miso soup. Add Dashi Miso one tablespoon at a time and make sure that it’s completely dissolved before going forward and adding more. And be careful with the quantity of seaweed, less is always more when it comes to this ingredient.

Enjoy!