This rich broth is a heartier, less salty version of the miso soup you get in sushi restaurants around the world, with the addition of an alluring variety of textures. The daikon gives it a satisfying crunch; the oyster mushrooms add a meaty element. Miso soup is central to Okinawan cuisine and is usually enjoyed as part of every meal, including breakfast. As in the rest of Japan, an everyday meal in Okinawa consists of miso soup and rice with seasonal side dishes.
1⁄8 small daikon radish (both roots and leaves), peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced to same size as the radish
1⁄2 cup chopped Chinese cabbage (like Napa or bok choy)
6 cups dashi broth
3 tablespoons red miso
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1⁄3 cup cubed tofu
1⁄2 cup chopped sweet potato leaves (or other greens)
1⁄2 cup sliced oyster mushrooms
In a soup pot, combine all ingredients except tofu and greens and bring to a boil.
Immediately turn down heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until daikon is soft.
Add tofu and greens at the very end and immediately turn off heat.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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