Summer Vegetable Miso Soup

With an abundance of summer veggies and the constant task of feeding 10-15 people in one sitting we get a little creative. I've made this soup a few times and has always been a big hit which is very nice because the soup itself is very easy to make. It also ages very well if you happen not to finish it on the first day, especially the kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) which adds an extra sweetness to the miso which would otherwise get a little sour.


Cut up all your summer veggies into small bite-size (or chopstick pick-up-able) pieces, about 1-2 centimeter cubes. Recommended veggies which I've tried are: eggplant (nasu-なす), Japanese pumpkin (kabocha-かぼちゃ), mushrooms (i.e. shiitake, maitake, etc), onion, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, and anything else that sounds good in a summer soup. Put the longer cooking veggies (kabocha, nasu, mushrooms, onion, carrots, etc) in a large pot and cover with water. Boil the veggies for a few minutes and then add the rest of the veggies (mainly green things). If you like you can also add some instant dashi (Japanese soup base). Then take some of the broth and dissolve some miso in it and add that mixture to the soup.

Serve.

If you happen to have leftovers, it will keep for months some times as long as you remember to boil it at least once a day (although I've been known to neglect duty once and awhile). If it starts to smell bad, throw it out!