Miso Stew Recipe
- 2 tablespoons arame
- 4 1/2 cups water (preferably filtered)
- 1/3 cup quinoa (1 3/4 oz)
- 1 (1-inch) piece kombu (kelp)
- 1/2 medium onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb firm tofu, cut crosswise into 6 slices and each slice quartered
- 1/2 carrot, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons white miso (also called shiro miso; not sweet, preferably white rice and soy miso)
- 1 cup very thinly sliced bok choy or Napa cabbage
- 1 teaspoon tamari (wheat-free sauce from refined soy), or to taste
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dulse flakes
- Soak arame in 1 cup filtered water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining quinoa in a sieve each time, then put quinoa in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan with kombu and 1 cup filtered water. Simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain in a sieve.
- About 10 minutes before quinoa is done, cook onion in oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
- Add tofu, carrot, shiitakes, and remaining 2 1/2 cups filtered water and simmer, covered, until carrot is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove kombu from quinoa and discard. Stir quinoa into stew, then remove from heat.
- Put miso in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup stew liquid, whisking until miso is incorporated, then stir mixture into stew. Drain and rinse arame and add to stew along with bok choy and tamari, stirring to combine.
- Divide stew between 2 bowls and sprinkle with scallion and dulse flakes.