Instructions: * Note: Red (aka) miso pastes like sendai and haccho are dark brown in color, and robust in flavor. White (shiro) miso pastes like saikyo are yellow in color, lighter and sweeter than red miso paste. Some miso pastes such as inaka miso, koji miso and mugi miso incorporate grains of wheat, rice, barley or soybeans to create a variety of textures and tastes. Some are saltier than the others, so when making miso soup, always taste the soup and make adjustments.

To make the Dashi: Using scissors, make several crosswise cuts in the konbu. This helps to extract the flavor during cooking. Place konbu and water in medium saucepan and let it stand 15 minutes. Cook on medium heat until water almost boils. Remove konbu just before water boils to avoid fishy odor.

When the water boils, add bonito flakes and cook over low to medium-low heat for about 30 seconds. Turn off heat. When bonito flakes have settled near the bottom, about 10 minutes, strain them through a very fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth and discard them. Dont stir the stock because it will cloud the dashi, which should have a light golden color. This will keep five days in the refrigerator. (Makes 3 1/2 cups)

Seed and peel the squash. Slice it into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Bring the Dashi to a boil in a medium saucepan, add the squash and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix the miso with a few tablespoons of the hot Dashi. Add it to the saucepan. Return the soup to a quick boil, then remove it from the heat and pour the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle each serving with chopped green onions.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

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