Japanese Miso Soup
A light, warming Japanese soup featuring savory miso paste dissolved in dashi broth, typically garnished with tofu, seaweed, and green onions. This umami-rich comfort food delivers authentic flavor in just minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups dashi stock either homemade or instant dashi powder dissolved in water
- 3-4 tablespoons miso paste white/shiro miso for milder flavor, red/aka miso for stronger flavor
- 1/2 block about 7 oz silken or soft tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed
- 2-3 green onions thinly sliced
- Optional additions: sliced mushrooms spinach leaves, or daikon radish
Instructions
- Prepare the wakame seaweed by placing it in a small bowl with cold water for about 5 minutes until it rehydrates and expands. Once softened, drain the water and set aside.
- Heat the dashi stock in a medium pot over medium heat until it’s hot but not boiling. Keep the broth below boiling point throughout the cooking process to preserve the delicate flavors.
- Add the tofu cubes to the hot dashi and simmer gently for about 2 minutes to allow the tofu to warm through without breaking apart.
- Place the miso paste in a small bowl and add about 1/2 cup of the hot dashi from the pot. Whisk until the miso is completely dissolved with no lumps remaining.
- Turn off the heat completely before adding the miso mixture to the pot. This is crucial as boiling miso will destroy its flavor and health benefits.
- Gently stir the dissolved miso into the pot, ensuring it’s evenly distributed throughout the soup.
- Add the rehydrated wakame seaweed to the pot and stir gently to incorporate.
- Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and garnish with freshly sliced green onions just before serving.
Notes
- The key to perfect miso soup is never boiling the miso – it kills the flavor and beneficial probiotics.
- For a heartier version, add mushrooms like shiitake or enoki when you add the tofu.
- Dashi is the foundation of good miso soup – while instant is convenient, homemade dashi (using kombu seaweed and bonito flakes) delivers superior flavor.
- This soup is best enjoyed fresh, as the flavor deteriorates when reheated, though you can store leftovers for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Different varieties of miso paste will dramatically change the character of your soup – experiment with white, yellow, or red miso to find your preference.