[1] An easy version of traditional miso soup, made with instant dashi (photo courtesy Sushi Lounge | NJ).
[2] An Americanized version: miso broth with broad noodles (photo and recipe courtesy Pasta Fits).
[3] Non-traditional garnishes for miso soup: bean sprouts and edamame (photo courtesy Sun Basket).
[4] Miso paste. When you’re done with the soup, use it to make this delicious Miso Salmon recipe from Steamy Kitchen.
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If you’re a fan of miso soup, you don’t have to head to a Japanese recipe to enjoy a bowl. You can make it at home.
Miso soup is made with 4 main ingredients: water, miso (fermented soybean paste), seaweed, and a garnish of small tofu cubes.
Miso is such a great ingredient, that we’ve written three articles on it:
Ways To Use Miso Paste
Why & How To Use Miso Paste
Add Miso To Your Meals
Miso can be found in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores, many health food stores and all Asian markets.
It may seem like an obscure ingredient to buy just for soup, but it’s affordable, incredibly healthy and can be used in many other recipes like soups, salad dressings, marinades, and other Asian-inspired dishes.
RECIPE #1: EASY MISO SOUP
This recipe is even easier than traditional miso soup, because it uses dashi granules instead of requiring that you make dashi stock from scratch. Think vegetable bouillon granules instead of vegetable stock.
With the granules or a dashi bouillon cube, the soup will be ready in 10 minutes. When you have time, try a recipe that uses homemade dashi stock, made from fish and kelp.
8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant dashi granules*
1/4 cup red miso paste
1 tablespoon dried seaweed, reconstituted in water and drained
1/2 cup cubed tofu
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
Preparation
1. ADD the water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the instant dashi; whisk to dissolve. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the tofu and seaweed. Simmer for 2 minutes. While the soup simmers…
2. SPOON the miso paste into a bowl. Ladle 1/2 cup of the hot dashi broth into the bowl and whisk until the miso paste melts and is the mixture smooth.
3. TURN off the heat and add the miso paste to the pot. Stir well. Taste the soup and whisk in another 1-2 tablespoons of miso paste as desired. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
RECIPE #2: MISO BROTH
If you can’t find dashi at the store, try this simple broth with miso paste, a recipe from Pasta Fits.
It’s a lighter take, but has the same garnishes as conventional miso soup: chopped scallions and a small dice of tofu—plus added broad egg noodles for a Japanese riff on that all-American favorite, chicken noodle soup.
It also adds fresh minced ginger—a Japanese ingredient, although not necessarily in soup.
This recipe uses instant chicken broth. There’s no true substitute for dashi flavor, but if you want a deeper flavor, you can add, to taste:
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Mushrooms—as many as you like
A packet of Japanese instant miso soup mix
This recipe is made in a trendy Mason jars. We used quart-sized plastic take-out containers. Any container works.
Cook time is 15 minutes.
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Ingredients For 4 Servings
2 cups cooked broad egg noodles
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 sheet toasted nori, cut into 1-inch strips
8 ounces soft tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 packets sodium-reduced instant chicken broth
Preparation
1. DIVIDE the noodles among four 2-cup Mason jars.
2. DIVIDE the miso paste, ginger, nori strips, tofu cubes, green onions and chicken broth among the jars. Seal and refrigerate. When ready to eat…
3. POUR 1 cup of boiling water into each jar. Stir until the miso and broth have dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
MORE MISO RECIPES
Ginger-Miso Salad Dressing
Leek & Wakame Appetizer Or Side With Miso Sauce
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