Summery Miso Soup with Zucchini, Corn and Lime

Enough for 2 servings

2-3 cups vegetable-kombu broth (recipe below)

1 small zucchini, sliced

handful of corn kernels

2-3 teaspoons white miso (start with less and add more only if needed)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

squeeze of lime, to taste

Bring broth to a simmer in a small pot. Add zucchini and corn. Cover and cook briefly, just until zucchini becomes tender. Ladle a small bit of the broth into a bowl and whisk in miso until dissolved, then pour into the pot and mix through. Adjust flavors if needed. Add scallions and squeeze in a bit of lime juice to taste. Serve right away.

Vegetable-Kombu Broth

Feel free to vary the ingredients or proportions to suit your taste or to utilize what you have on hand. The amount of kombu I added, as well as the method in which I incorporated it, was a bit experimental, so feel free to make adjustments there as well. I don't recommend adding salt to the broth if using this for miso soup.

1 onion

1 small zucchini

2 celery stalks

3 carrots

handful of whole green beans

small handful of parsley, including stems

3 quarts of water

4 strips of kombu

Chop onion, zucchini, celery and carrots into big chunks. Add all ingredients except for kombu to a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. Add kombu and simmer gently another 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool then strain.

I made a double batch of this broth, used some of it, and froze the rest in 2-cup portions to use whenever I'd like.

Related Recipe:
Miso Soup with Daikon, Spinach and Sesame