I made this as an add on when I felt like I needed a starter and it ended up being just as good as the main course (last weeks Gyudon) and better then pretty much anything else I'd eaten that week...month. Spice the tofu according to how sweaty you can be in front of the people you're eating with.
Ingredients are listed in the order they appear in the recipe and anything that requires prep is in bold. Ingredients are bolded in the directions when you first encounter them as well as when they are reintroduced after being set aside. All ingredients are Capitalized.
Source recipe: Japan Centre, Reynolds Kitchen
INGREDIENTS:
Roasted Mushrooms (optional):
12 ounces Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Miso Soup:
1 package (approx. ¼ oz.) Seaweed Snacks, cut
8 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Chili Oil
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
6 Tablespoons White Miso Paste
2 (approx. 28 oz.) packs medium - firm Tofu, diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Red Pepper Paste (Gochujang)
Toppings:
Japanese Seven Spice
DIRECTIONS:
To make the Roast Mushrooms (optional), preheat oven to 400°. Remove stems and slice 12 oz. of Shiitake Mushrooms vertically through the cap. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 Tbs Olive Oil and 1 Tbs Sea Salt. Add Pepper to taste.
Place on middle rack of oven and cook for 12 minutes, watching closely, until browned and crisp.
To make the Miso Soup, cut 1 package of Seaweed Snacks into ½ inch strips and set aside.
In a medium stock pot heat 8 cups of Vegetable Broth on medium-low. Add 1 Tablespoon each of Soy Sauce, Sesame Chili Oil and Rice Vinegar.
Whisk 6 Tablespoons of White Miso Paste into about 3 Tablespoons of hot water until smooth. Add to broth. Cover and continue to simmer on low heat while you prepare the tofu.
Open 2 packages (approx. 28 oz.) of medium - firm Tofu and cut into square cubes.
Heat 2 Tbs Olive Oil over high heat in a large frying pan or wok. Once the oil starts to shimmer add Tofu and let it sit undisturbed until you can sell it cooking. Once the Tofu starts to brown flip and repeat on all sides until crispy. Stir in 4 Tbs Red Pepper Paste and mix until tofu is covered. Remove from heat.
Bring Miso soup base to a boil. Remove soup from heat and add Seaweed Snack strips and Tofu. Serve immediately. Top with Roasted Mushrooms and Japanese Seven Spice if desired.