Description
Miso Soup is a traditional Japanese comfort dish known for its delicate umami flavor and nourishing qualities. This ultimate recipe combines smooth miso paste with savory dashi broth, tender tofu, rehydrated wakame seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh green onions, resulting in a flavorful, warming soup that’s both easy to prepare and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth
- 4 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) or water
Main Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons miso paste (white or red)
- 1 block firm or silken tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 cup seaweed (wakame), rehydrated
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms (shiitake or other), sliced
Optional Ingredients
- Vegetables like bok choy or spinach
- A few drops of soy sauce or sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare dashi: If using dashi powder, dissolve it completely in 4 cups of water in a pot to create the broth. If you have pre-made dashi, you can skip this step.
- Heat the broth: Place the pot over medium heat and bring the dashi or water to a gentle simmer, ensuring it does not boil vigorously.
- Add tofu: Gently add the cubed tofu into the simmering broth. Let it heat through for about 5 minutes, being careful not to stir too hard to avoid breaking the tofu.
- Incorporate mushrooms: Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms to the pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until they become tender and release their flavor into the broth.
- Mix in miso: In a separate bowl, ladle some hot broth from the pot and whisk in the miso paste until you achieve a smooth, lump-free mixture.
- Combine: Pour the miso mixture back into the pot gently and stir slowly to blend without boiling the soup, preserving the miso’s delicate flavor and beneficial enzymes.
- Add seaweed: Stir in the rehydrated wakame seaweed and allow it to soak for about 1 minute to absorb the broth’s flavor.
- Garnish: Turn off the heat, then add the sliced green onions, stirring gently to distribute them evenly throughout the soup.
- Taste and adjust: Optionally, add a few drops of soy sauce or sesame oil to enhance the depth of flavor according to your preference.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure to include tofu cubes, mushrooms, and green onions in each serving. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use firm tofu for a more substantial texture or silken tofu for a softer, creamier feel.
- Rehydrate wakame seaweed in water before adding it to the soup.
- Do not boil the soup after adding miso paste to preserve its flavor and nutrients.
- Feel free to add additional vegetables like bok choy or spinach for variation and added nutrition.
- This soup is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days—reheat gently without boiling.
