Hearty Miso Cabbage Stew
Kitchen Tested 
- Yield 6 servings
- Prep 10 mins
- Cook 48 mins
Savory and warming, this main dish stew combines tofu and napa cabbage.
Mark Boughton
Ingredients
- Barbecued Tofu:
- 7 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot chile paste or 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 packages (14-ounce) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch thick slices
- Vegetables:
- 1 head napa (Chinese) cabbage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 slices fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup rice wine or sake
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup light-colored (white) miso paste
- reduced-sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- To prepare tofu, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and chile paste in a large bowl. Add tofu and toss carefully to coat. Cover and let marinate 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat broiler. Arrange tofu slices on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil 8 to 9 minutes on each side, until the edges are brown and slightly crisp. (Or bake in a 425F oven 15 minutes per side.) Dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
- To prepare vegetables, rinse cabbage and drain. Cut away core section. Separate leaves and cut into 2-inch squares.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat. Drop garlic and ginger into oil; stir briefly. Add cabbage pieces; stir, cover and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Add rice wine; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes. Add tofu; stir and cook 5 minutes.
- Put miso paste in a small bowl. Slowly add 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooking liquid, stirring until smooth.
- Add miso mixture and soy sauce to stew; stir well. Serves 6.
Recipe adapted with permission from Nina Simonds' Spices of Life (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005).
