Clams Miso Soup
We deviate from the basic miso soup by ditching dashi and instead making clam broth. Add mushrooms optionally before pouring in the miso. Clams miso soup takes only ten minutes to cook. However, soaking the clams in water to clean the mollusks takes several hours.
Ingredients
- 500 grams fresh clams
- ¼ cup miso paste (see notes after the recipe)
- 200 grams oyster mushrooms
- 6 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
Instructions
- Soak the clams in water for about six hours, changing the water every two hours or so, to expel the sand inside the shells. Drain and rinse several times until the liquid is clear and free from traces of sand. Drain well.
- If your mushrooms are large, tear or cut into bite-size pieces.
- Heat six cups of water in a pot.
- Place the miso paste in a heat-proof bowl. Stir to loosen.
- When the water boils, take scoop cup and pour into the miso paste. Whisk until smooth.
- Dump the drained clams and mushrooms into the boiling water.
- Once the clams open, turn off the heat.
- Stir in the miso paste and half of the scallions.
- Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Ladle the clams miso soup in bowls and top with the remaining scallions.
Notes
Miso paste varies in saltiness. A quarter cup was just right for this recipe but take that as a guide. You may need more or less than a quarter cup depending on how salty your miso paste is.
I used oyster mushrooms because that was what we had when I cooked the clams miso soup. You can use enoki, shimeji or skiitake.
Updated from a recipe originally published in December 21, 2009
