Provencal Miso Soup

French Provence Japanese fusion?  This miso soup is delicious!
    
     Miso soup is a popular in Japan and many start their day with a breakfast of miso soup.  There are many traditional Japanese miso soup recipes.  Many anally retentive conservative people say that there is only one way to make miso soup.  Whatever!
     As long as the dashi is made with traditional ingredients and methods, then the miso soup will have a good Japanese flavor.  Creating a new miso soup still means that the garnishing ingredients will have to taste good with the dashi broth and required basic ingredients of the miso soup.  The fresh basic flavors of provence France go well with miso soup.  Shiitake mushroom adds even more appeal.

     This recipe makes 1 serving!  Miso soup should always be cooked shortly before serving.
    
     Dashi Recipe:
     Heat a sauce pot over medium high heat.
     Add 3 cups of water.
     Add 3 tablespoons of dried shaved bonito flakes. 
     Add 2 tablespoons of chopped rinsed salt packed wakame sea weed.
     Note:  Wakame creates a savory flavor.  Reconstituted kombu seaweed creates a sweeter flavor.  Either is nice for this recipe and both types of seaweed are traditional.
     Boil the broth for 5 minutes.
     Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a second sauce pot.

     Provencal Miso Soup:  
     Finishing this miso soup should not take too much time.  The vegetables should still be al dente when this soup is served!
     Place the dashi broth in the sauce pot over medium heat.
     Add 3 pinches of Herbs Du Provence.
     Note:  Herbs du Provence is a mixture of these dried herbs: marjoram, thyme leaf, savory, chervil, basil, rosemary, sage and fennel seed.  Dried lavender flowers are optional.
     Add 1 minced garlic clove.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste.
     Add 2 to 3 small shiitake mushrooms that are thin sliced.
     Add 2 tablespoons of diced green bell pepper.
     Add 2 tablespoons of diced red bell pepper.
     Add 1 small plum tomato that is diced.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of chopped shallot.
     Add 2 tablespoons of sliced leek.
     Add 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce.

     Add 3 drops drops of sesame oil.

     Add 1 ounce of dry white wine.

     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of red miso paste, while stirring.
     Add 2 pinches of coarsely chopped Italian parsley.
     Simmer the soup for 2 minutes.
     Ladle the soup into a large shallow soup bowl.
     Garnish with a couple of basil leaves.
   
     Provence is a prime seafood region of France, so the traditional dashi broth goes well with the French ingredients.  I was sure that these two classic flavors of Japan and France would go well together in this fusion soup.  I was right!  If you are a miso soup lover, try this recipe for a very pleasant flavor surprise.  Yum!  ...   Shawna