Miso Soup Recipe

Make dashi base

Pour 4 cups of cold water into a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 tsp instant dashi granules and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. If using kombu/bonito method, soak a 4" piece of kombu in the water for 20–30 minutes, slowly heat to just before simmering, remove kombu, then add 2 cups water + 1 cup water with a small pinch of bonito flakes, simmer briefly and strain.

Dissolve miso

When the dashi is gently simmering (do not boil), remove about 1/2 cup of the hot broth into a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons white miso paste to that bowl and whisk until smooth. Return the dissolved miso to the saucepan off the heat or on the lowest flame — avoid boiling the soup after adding miso to preserve its flavor and probiotics. Stir in 1 tsp soy sauce if using.

Prepare tofu

While the dashi heats, drain the tofu and pat gently dry. Cut the 7 oz block into roughly 1/2-inch cubes.

Rehydrate wakame

Put 1 tsp dried wakame in a small bowl and cover with 2–3 tablespoons warm water. Let it soak 3–5 minutes until expanded, then drain and lightly squeeze out excess water. Chop larger pieces if needed.

Add solids to soup

With the miso dissolved and the pot off or on very low heat, add the cubed tofu and rehydrated wakame to the broth. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes — do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning: add a little more miso (about 1/2 tbs dissolved in hot liquid) or up to 1 tsp soy sauce if you want deeper saltiness.

Prep scallions & finish

Thinly slice 2 scallions on the diagonal. Ladle the miso soup into bowls and sprinkle sliced scallions on top. If desired, finish with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds and 1/4 tsp shichimi togarashi per bowl.