Zoni-Kansai Style (New Year Miso Soup)

Servings: 2

Ingredients
40g daikon radish
1 carrot
2 taro potatoes
50g spinach
80g white miso
2-4 mochi rice cakes (round)
400ml water
1 small piece kombu kelp (3cm x 3cm)
yuzu peel, to garnish
optional
5g katsuobushi bonito fish flakes
a little bit of soy sauce

Instructions
Peel and cut the carrot and daikon to about 1cm thick rounds. For a nice decorative touch, feel free to make shapes out of the carrots or daikon with a food cutter. Put into a saucepan with water and boil until soft, about 7-9 mins. Set aside.
Peel the taro potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Rub the salt onto the surface to reduce any slime. Wash the salt away. Cut the potatoes into small bite-sized chunks. Add the potatoes to a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 7-9 mins until slightly softened.
Boil the spinach for 30-40 seconds and rinse. Squeeze out any excess water and cut into 4cm lengths.
In a saucepan, put 400ml water, bonito fish flakes, and the small piece of kombu kelp. Bring to the boil, then lower to medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the stock through a sieve. Dispose of the used kelp and fish flakes. Return the stock to the saucepan. In a small bowl combine the white miso and 1 ladleful of the stock. Stir until dissolved, then add to the rest of the stock.
Microwave or grill the mochi according to your preferred preparation method.
In a serving bowl put the mochi and all the other ingredients and pour in the miso soup. Put some yuzu peel on top to garnish. Serve with friends after new year’s. The traditional new year’s greeting in Japanese is Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu.