Chrysanthemum Tofu in Miso Soup

Step 1

Bring 4 cups cold water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the instant dashi and stir until combined. Place the miso paste in a medium strainer and rub the miso against the sides of the strainer with a spoon while you hold it in the hot dashi (a strainer with a long handle will keep your hands away from the hot steam). Set the broth aside on low heat to keep warm.

Step 2

Meanwhile, while the water comes up to a boil, cut the tofu block into quarters. Place a quarter of a tofu block onto a plastic bowl scraper. Place wooden chopsticks on opposite sides of the tofu, parallel to each other. Gently cut the tofu with a thin, very sharp knife into thin slices; make the slices as thin as you can without breaking the tofu, about 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Make sure you don’t cut all the way through the tofu (the chopsticks should stop the knife to help prevent that). Rotate the bowl scraper 90 degrees and rotate the pair of chopsticks 90 degrees as well so that it is perpendicular to the previous location. Gently cut the tofu across in the other direction to form small strips.

Step 3

Pick up the bowl scraper and carefully place the tofu in the center of a soup serving bowl. Gently pour about 3/4 cup of hot miso soup onto the side of the bowl so it doesn’t ruin the tofu. Bob the soup up and down and use chopsticks to gently separate the thin tofu strips to form a chrysanthemum flower. Garnish with some sliced scallion. Repeat with the remaining tofu pieces and broth.