Miso Soup with Mixed Vegetables and Tofu

Kenchinjiru is a Japanese vegetable and tofu soup that, if made the traditional way, is vegan. For ease, we use instant dashi (Japanese stock), which typically counts katsuobushi (bonito flakes) as a primary ingredient, so vegans and vegetarians take note. Look for instant dashi sold boxed or in packets in the international aisle of the supermarket or in Asian grocery stores. Follow the package instructions for preparing the 6 cups dashi needed for this recipe. Just a couple tablespoons of soy sauce adds color, seasoning and umami to the soup, and to further enrich it with salty-sweet notes, we also include some white miso.