Miso Soup. A traditional Japanese soup with a savory umami flavor, soft tofu and seaweed. A delicious starter or side dish in 10 minutes!
In traditional Japanese cooking, two seaweeds form the basis of miso soup: kombu (for the broth) and wakame (the little leafy greens floating in the broth). Maine has equivalent species for both, but don’t worry if you don’t have them on hand.
How to make Miso Soup
First carefully remove soft tofu from packaging and strain excess liquids. Then slice tofu into small cubes, about 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm each. Tip: Do not cut the tofu into large cubes as this doesnt taste as great in the miso soup.
Next in a small pot, add 2 ¼ cups water (cold), dried kelp and bonito flakes.
Then cover and bring to boil. As soon as it boils, only remove kelp (as this leaves a bitter taste).
What is Miso Soup?
Japanese miso soup is made of yellow miso paste, soft tofu, and seaweed simmered in a dashi stock in Japanese cuisine. Traditional miso soup is served at many Japanese restaurants and typically served complimentary before a meal.
The first time I had a bowl of miso soup I remember the delicious savory broth with that salty flavor. Its definitely one of my favorite soups in Japanese cooking as its such a simple dish that uses minimal ingredients to make!
I love eating miso soup before having a traditional Japanese meal or you can also simple serve this with white rice as it contains protein and fiber. Homemade miso soup is one of the most easiest Japanese dishes made with simple ingredients with little effort. Its one I often make and I had to share my version on the blog.
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements
- Yellow Miso (aka Shinshu Miso): This is a fermented soybean paste. Be sure to get the low-sodium kind. The paste is a yellow brownish color that is thick. Its found in the refrigerated section of most Asian market.
- Important note before shopping: There are also different types of miso paste available, such as white miso paste and red miso paste and more. These are not the same as yellow miso. Each type of miso has a different taste and sodium level.
- Dried kelp (aka kombu): Do not wash the white salt content on the kelp. This offers flavor to the homemade dashi. You can find this in the dried section of most Asian grocers. Get the precut kind that comes in rectangular shape, versus the larger sheets that you have to cut yourself to make it easier.
- Bonito flakes (aka smoked Skipjack Tuna): These are shavings of Skipjack Tuna for the homemade soup stock. They come in two types: finer shavings and larger shavings. Tip: buy the larger shavings versus the finer ones (as pictured below) as they dont pass through the sieve as easily.
- Dried Wakame seaweed: A type of sea plant that is long and slender with a dark green color. This is the green stuff floating in the soup.
- Soft tofu or silken tofu: You may use medium to firm tofu as a substitute. Important note: youll want to gently small dice this for better enjoyment.
- Cold Water
- Green onions: optional garnish
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry these ingredients.
- Gently small dice the soft tofu. This makes it more pleasant to eat versus large cubes.
- Remove the kelp as soon as the dashi stock boils to prevent a bitterness in the soup.
- Line the fine sieve with a clean paper towel to strain the dashi stock of the bonito flakes. The flakes are small and can pass through the sieve.
- Use a whisk to break down the miso paste.
- To store leftover miso paste, place it in an airtight container in the fridge and if the miso came with paper on top of the paste, keep the paper in there. This absorbs excess moisture.
What Kind of Seaweed Do You Put in Miso?
FAQ
What type of seaweed is used in miso?
Is seaweed in miso healthy?
Is wakame seaweed the same as nori?
Is dried kelp the same as wakame?
Can you use seaweed in miso soup?
Just replace regular dashi with them, and you will have a vegan miso soup. There is more seaweed you can add to your miso soup. Tororo kombu is shredded kombu (kelp) after pickling in vinegar and used as a garnish in various Japanese dishes. Aosa is flaky seaweed often used as a topping for yakisoba and takoyaki.
Is it good to have miso soup?
Miso is a fermented product that contains probiotics. Thus, consuming miso soup might improve your gut/ digestive health. Being low in calories, the soup might also contribute to weight loss and weight management. It is packed with antioxidants like copper, zinc, manganese, and vitamins like vitamin K, and B vitamins. This in turn might play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and chronic conditions like cancer. Note: A bowl of miso soup can give you around 830mg of sodium that is roughly 33-35% of RDI. You can go for low-sodium miso while preparing the soup, especially if you are on a low-sodium diet.
What are the different types of miso?
There are many different types of miso in the market. In the US, most miso available at mainstream grocery stores goes by colors, such as white miso ( shiro miso), red miso ( aka miso), and yellow miso ( awase miso or mixed miso). If you want to learn more about miso, check out our detailed post.
What color is miso?
In the US, most miso available at mainstream grocery stores goes by colors, such as white miso ( shiro miso), red miso ( aka miso), and yellow miso ( awase miso or mixed miso). If you want to learn more about miso, check out our detailed post. Each miso paste and brand varies in saltiness and flavor.