Black Miso Kabocha & Mushroom Stew
(with Rice Milk)

A warming stew—grounded, adaptable, and deeply nourishing, best enjoyed in winter.

Ingredients

  • Ginger, sliced (Optional: scallions / green onions)

  • Rice milk ( any stock, or just warm water )

  • Aged black miso sauce

  • Olive, vegetable, or seed oil

  • Clarified butter, lard, or other animal fat (optional but recommended)

  • Salt

  • Black pepper

  • Assorted mushrooms, king trumpet mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, Button mushrooms, Chinese wood-ear mushroom*

  • Kabocha squash (Asian Pumpkin) Cut into large chunks, skin on

  • Green leafy vegetables, Kale, Bok choy, or similar.

  • Firm tofu, cut into large cube or pre-hydrated tofu skin

  • Shallot, diced

Optional Finishing

  • Extra olive oil

  • Chili hot sauce

Method

  • Heat the oils
    In a pot, heat olive oil together with clarified butter (or another animal fat) over medium heat.

  • Sauté aromatics
    Add Shallot, ginger, Sauté until fragrant and lightly softened.

  • Add mushrooms and sweat
    Add all the mushrooms. Season with a small amount of salt and black pepper.
    Cook until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid.

  • Simmer (medium heat)
    Bring liquid to boiling for 1 minutes, cover it with lid and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

  • Add tofu & adjust liquid
    Add the firm tofu.
    If the liquid has reduced too much, add a little more rice milk.

  • Medium-Low-heat simmer
    Reduce heat to low and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. 

  • Taste and season
    Taste the broth and adjust with a small amount of salt if needed.

  • Second simmer
    Continue simmering on low heat for another 5 minutes, allowing flavors to deepen.

  • Add greens
    Add kale * gently pressing them into the liquid.

  • Final minute
    Simmer for 1 minute, just until the greens soften.

  • Finish and serve
    Before serving, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.

  • Incorporate black miso
    Once mushroom liquid appears, add aged black miso sauce. Stir well. 

  • Add rice milk
    Pour in rice milk and mix gently.

  • Add kabocha squash
    Place the large chunks of kabocha squash into the pot.
    Add more rice milk until all ingredients are just covered.

Cooking Tips

  • Equal amount of mushrooms, kabocha squash, tofu

  • Pre-Soke dried Chinese wood-ear mushroom ahead of time 

Black Miso Sauce

  • Mix 2 tsps aged black miso with a small splash of soy sauce or any your own favorite sauce to loosen.

  • Gradually add room-temperature water, stirring until smooth and pourable.

  • Do not dilute miso with water, which will lessening miso taste. 

  • Optional: add ½ tsp cooking wine (Chinese Huangjiu or Japanese Mirin).

Kale

  • Kale: if you use kale, massage kale with 1/4 lemon juice with a dash of olive oil. 

Rice Milk

  • Store-bought rice milk works well.

  • To make your own:
    Simmer 2 tsp short-grain rice in 2 cups water.
    Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low-medium and simmer 30 minutes.
    Strain and use the liquid.