SERVES 4
This soup is very versatile. On cold nights, I like to add chorizo and Manchego cheese. I feel that if you are tired and downcast a miso soup will heal you. Japanese and Catalan cultures are very wise and healthy, and this inspires me to mix the two together.
Dried kombu seaweed, 16 inches long
8 cups water, room temperature
2 teaspoons katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
1½ cups julienned leeks
3 cups julienned green pepper
6 ounces angel hair pasta
1½ cups chopped mushrooms
⅔ pound desalted cod, skinless 1-inch fillets
20 chives, minced
1 cup red miso
⅔ cup romesco sauce
With a pair of scissors, cut the kombu into 1 by ¼-inch strips. Fill a stainless-steel pot with the water and soak the kombu strips for 4 to 6 hours. Heat the pot over medium heat. Once the water boils, remove and set aside the kombu. Add the katsuobushi to the pot. Once the water boils again, skim off the katsuobushi.
Add the leeks, green peppers, and angel hair pasta. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 3 more minutes.
Take the pot off the heat. Add the cod fillets and the julienned kombu to the pot along with the chives. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes in order for the cod to cook.
Pour ½ cup of broth into a bowl. Add the miso and the romesco and stir together. Pour back into the pot and gently stir into the soup. Serve immediately.