Market Watch with Timaree Hagenburger: daikon radish

Ingredients

Miso soup with daikon

1 daikon radish, unpeeled, medium dice
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups water
8 oz. water-packed, firm tofu, diced
2 sheets nori, cut into strips
3 to 4 tbsp. miso paste
2 scallions, diced
Black and white sesame seeds, ground

Directions

Combine radish, onion, mushrooms and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in tofu, nori and miso paste. Retrieve mushrooms, remove stems, slice caps and return to soup, if desired. Keep soup warm until ready to serve. Garnish each bowl with scallions and sesame seeds.

Serves 2

The Nutrition Professor's Shop Smart, Prep Smart, Cook Smart, Eat Smart Tips:

• Any dried mushroom will impart a wonderful flavor to the broth and replaces dashi, a seasoning traditionally made from fish. The addition of kombu, a type of sea vegetable, will also pair well with the dried mushrooms and would be added at the beginning of cooking. 
• Do not use silken tofu for this recipe, as the texture is too soft and will not keep its shape. 
• An easy way to cut nori (seaweed used for sushi rolls) is with a pair of clean, dry scissors. When nori gets wet, it is very difficult to work with. Keep nori in a sealed, heavy-duty (freezer) zip-top bag to keep out moisture. 
• If you place the thick miso paste in a medium bowl and ladle in 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm broth, you can use a fork to easily dissolve the paste, then add it back to the soup and avoid lumps.
• Be sure not to bring the soup to a boil once the miso has been added, or else beneficial components will be destroyed by the heat.