Guest Author - Sherry Van Der Elst
The leek is a member of the onion family and has an amazingly unique flavor that pairs especially well with potatoes in this authentic Japanese dish.
1 large leek
1/2 pound russet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
Bowl of cold water
4 cups dashi (recipe link below)
4 tbsps red miso
1. Trim the top of the leek, discard bruised and outer leaves, and trim the root. Split the leek lengthwise, in quarters, almost entirely through the root. Carefully rinse all the layers in cold water to remove dirt. Reassemble the layers and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Quarter potatoes, then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place potato pieces in cold water and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, bring dashi to a boil. Drain potatoes and add to saucepan, cooking over medium-high heat until half done. Add leeks and cook until both are tender.
4. Ladle 1/2 cup of dashi into a medium bowl and whisk in miso. Slowly whisk dashi-miso mixture back into the soup. Remove saucepan from heat and ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately.
