Miso ball soup


Miso soup is one of the healthiest, most comforting foods I can think of. Making portable, single-sized portions without resorting to a packaged mix (and thus losing out on the nutritional benefits of fresh miso paste) was one my first bento challenges. This was what I came up with, although I can't take complete credit for the solution - Naomi Kijima suggests a similar method on the very last page of her book Bento Boxes: Japanese Meals on the Go.

1 tbsp white or red miso paste
1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp dried wakame
4-6 fresh bean sprouts
pinch of powdered bonito-flavoured soup stock
optional: 4-6 small cubes of silken tofu

Place green onion, wakame, bean sprouts, and powdered soup stock into a small soup bowl. Roll the miso paste into a ball and place on top of the vegetables. Cover the soup bowl and store in the fridge until ready to eat. If using the tofu, store in a separate container. When ready to eat, add boiling water to the bowl. Stir in the tofu cubes. The miso ball will dissolve and the wakame will soften with a few whisks of the chopsticks.