Japanese Miso Soup with Tofu (1)

Japanese Miso
Miso soup is made by mixing miso paste (a traditional flavoring) and dashi (stock). The paste is made by fermenting soy beans, rice or barley, and salt. There are different kinds of miso depending on the region, just like there are different varieties of cheese. The most common type of miso is a light brown color, although there are also some that are pale yellow and others that are dark brown. The soup can be prepared with vegetables, meat, fish, tofu, or any combination of these. You can use potatoes, cabbage, or shiitake mushrooms in the miso soup. These ingredients should be cooked in the stock until soft; add the miso slowly and turn off the heat when the soup comes to a boil.
Ingredients
• 1/2 block tofu 
• 4 tbsp Miso or according to taste
• 1/2 Leek (a whole scallion may also be used)
• 3 cups dashi 
Directions
1 Chop the leek and cut the tofu into small cubes.
2 Heat the dashi and mix in a little miso at a time. (Don’t use 4 tablespoons all at once; it could be too much. You should add more only if the taste is still too weak.)
3 Add tofu and turn off the heat as soon as the stock comes to a boil. Serve in bowls, topped with chopped leek.