Miso Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons arame*
• 4 1/2 cups water (preferably filtered)
• 1/3 cup quinoa** (1 3/4 oz)
• 1 (1-inch) piece kombu* (kelp)
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb firm tofu, cut crosswise into 6 slices and each slice quartered
• 1/2 carrot, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons white miso*** (also called shiro miso; not sweet, preferably white rice and soy miso)
• 1 cup very thinly sliced bok choy or Napa cabbage
• 1 teaspoon tamari**** (wheat-free sauce from refined soy), or to taste
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dulse flakes*****

Method

1. 01Soak arame in 1 cup filtered water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. 02Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining quinoa in a sieve each time, then put quinoa in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan with kombu and 1 cup filtered water. Simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain in a sieve.
3. 03About 10 minutes before quinoa is done, cook onion in oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
4. 04Add tofu, carrot, shiitakes, and remaining 2 1/2 cups filtered water and simmer, covered, until carrot is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove kombu from quinoa and discard. Stir quinoa into stew, then remove from heat.
5. 05Put miso in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup stew liquid, whisking until miso is incorporated, then stir mixture into stew. Drain and rinse arame and add to stew along with bok choy and tamari, stirring to combine.
6. 06Divide stew between 2 bowls and sprinkle with scallion and dulse flakes.
7. 07*Available at Asian markets, natural foods stores, and edenfoods.com.
8. 08**Available at specialty foods shops, natural foods stores, and ethnicgrocer.com.
9. 09***Available at Asian markets, natural foods stores, and Uwajimaya ( 800-889-1928).
10. 10****Available at natural foods stores.
11. 11*****Available at Asian markets, natural foods stores, and seaveg.com.