Miso Soup Recipe

Name: Japan Japanese & Chinese Diners Miso Soup Recipe
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 cups dashi (low-sodium preferred); 3 tbs white miso paste (shiro miso); 1 tbs red or mixed miso paste (optional, for deeper flavor); 2 tbs water (for dissolving miso, if needed); 7 oz soft tofu (silken or medium-firm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 tsp wakame (dried), rinsed and rehydrated; 2 tbsp green onions (scallions), thinly sliced; 3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional); 1 tsp soy sauce (low-sodium, optional); 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional); 0.25 tsp shichimi togarashi or ground white pepper (optional)

Inspired by Japan Japanese & Chinese Diner

Time20m

Serves2

Traditional soup made with miso paste, featuring a rich and comforting broth.

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Ingredients

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Broth & Miso Base

4 cups dashi (low-sodium preferred)

3 tbs white miso paste (shiro miso)

1 tbs red or mixed miso paste (optional, for deeper flavor)

2 tbs water (for dissolving miso, if needed)

Add-ins

7 oz soft tofu (silken or medium-firm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tsp wakame (dried), rinsed and rehydrated

2 tbsp green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)

1 tsp soy sauce (low-sodium, optional)

Garnish & Finishing

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

1/4 tsp shichimi togarashi or ground white pepper (optional)

Method

Broth & Miso Base

Prepare dashi

If using instant dashi granules, dissolve the appropriate amount in 4 cups hot water according to package directions. If using homemade dashi (kombu + katsuobushi), prepare 4 cups and keep hot but not boiling.

Bring the prepared dashi to a gentle simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Do not let it reach a vigorous boil — keep it at a gentle steam/simmer.

Place the white miso (and red miso if using) in a small heatproof bowl. Ladle about 2 tablespoons of hot dashi into the bowl and whisk or stir until the miso forms a smooth paste. If needed, add up to the additional 2 tablespoons of water to loosen the paste so it dissolves easily.

Turn the heat under the pot to low. Remove a ladleful of simmering dashi, whisk the dissolved miso into the ladle, then pour the miso mixture back into the pot while stirring gently. Do not boil the soup after miso is added; keep it just below simmer to preserve flavor and probiotics.

Add-ins

If using dried wakame, place it in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to rehydrate, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Rehydrated wakame will expand; measure after rehydration to ~2 tsp.

If using shiitake mushrooms, add the thinly sliced mushrooms to the pot before adding miso, and simmer for 2–3 minutes until tender. If you added mushrooms earlier, ensure the pot is returned to low heat before adding miso paste (per above).

Gently slide cubed tofu into the pot after miso is dissolved and stirred in; warm the tofu in the hot broth for 1–2 minutes. Avoid vigorous stirring to keep tofu cubes intact.

Add the rehydrated wakame and 2 tablespoons sliced green onions to the soup, stir gently to distribute, and warm for another 30–60 seconds.

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. If it needs more saltiness, add up to 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce, stirring gently and tasting again. Remember that miso is salty, so add sparingly.

Garnish & Finishing

Remove the pot from heat. Drizzle 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil over the surface if desired and sprinkle a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) shichimi togarashi or ground white pepper for heat. Stir gently to combine.

Ladle the miso soup into bowls and finish with a scattering of the remaining thinly sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.