Sushi – I think it’s one of my love languages.
Sticky rice, spicy salmon, fresh vegetables, fiery wasabi, and salty soy sauce. And don’t even get me started on pickled ginger. Wasabi + soy + ginger = flavor bomb. I can barely handle it. Needless to say, John and I have put sushi on heavy rotation in our eating out options.
One of my favorite parts of going out for sushi is miso soup.
It’s so warm and comforting and savory, with perfect little bites of tofu and seaweed in every scoop. Up until now I’ve reserved miso for times when we go out to eat. But when I was feeling a little under the weather recently, miso sounded soooo good to my achy stomach. That, along with a strong sushi craving, inspired me to create some of my own.
Origin of Miso Paste
The star of miso soup? Miso paste.
Miso was believed to have originated in China and later introduced to Japan more than 1,300 years ago by Buddhist priests. It was made with fermented mixtures of salt, grains, and soybeans and used as a way to preserve food during warmer months.
Miso has since became a staple in Japanese cuisine, and is made with a variety of ingredients including: Rice in the north, sweet white miso near the capitol of Kyoto, soy in the central Aichi prefecture, and barley in the south. (source)
Miso is rich in minerals like zinc, copper, and manganese, as well as various B vitamins and vitamin K. Soy miso also contains phytonutrient antioxidants (source). And as a fermented food it also provides beneficial bacteria for the gut.
Miso paste can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores and 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 many Asian-inspired dishes. So, I found it a worthy addition to my pantry.
What is Miso Soup?
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made primarily of miso paste, dashi (broth), and additional ingredients such as vegetables, seaweed, and tofu.
How to Make Miso Soup
Traditionally, miso soup begins with a broth called “dashi,” made by soaking seaweed such as kombu in water and cooking with bonito flakes (flakes of dried fermented fish). Learn how to make your own here! However, ours is plant-based and made with vegetable broth, which is not traditional but it’s what we always have on hand.
How is This Recipe Different?
I wanted to keep my miso soup super simple and quick, but with a bit more emphasis on the greens. So I added some green chard and lots of green onion to the mix and couldn’t have been more pleased with the result!
This soup is bursting with miso flavor and delivers the perfect amount of tofu and seaweed in each bite. And for veggie lovers like me, there’s more than a full serving of greens in each bowl. Be still my heart.
How to Make Miso Soup
This simple 15-minute, 1 pan version begins with heating the vegetable broth.
The miso paste is whisked into a little hot water to get the clumps out. The result is a smooth and liquidy paste that gets added once the soup is removed from the heat. Set aside.
Next the chard, green onion, nori, and tofu are cooked in the broth briefly. Then it’s time to remove from the heat, add in the miso, taste test, and adjust the saltiness.
And that’s it! I see plenty of miso soup in our future.
Consider this recipe our inspired version. Find a more traditional guide to miso soup here!
We hope you LOVE this soup! It’s:
Savory
Comforting
Flavorful
Customizable
& Loaded with greens!
Miso soup pairs perfectly with homemade sushi (you don’t even need a sushi mat) or Eggplant & Almond Butter Tofu Bowls.
More Miso Recipes
- Crispy Miso Chickpea Bowls with Garlic Sesame Dressing
- Easy Vegan Ramen
- Easy Gochujang Sauce (Korean Chili Paste)
- Coconut Curry Ramen
If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating, and tagging a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! Cheers, friends.
15-Minute Miso Soup with Greens and Tofu
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth (use dashi for more traditional miso soup // see notes above)
- 1 sheet nori (dried seaweed // optional // cut into large rectangles // 1 sheet yields 1/4 cup)
- 3-4 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste (fermented soy bean or chickpea paste) with or without bonito (fish flavor, though bonito makes it non vegan-vegetarian-friendly)
- 1/2 cup chopped green chard or other sturdy green
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup firm tofu (cubed // use silken tofu for more traditional miso soup)
Instructions
- Place vegetable broth in a medium sauce pan and bring to a low simmer.
- In the meantime, place miso (starting with lesser end of range) into a small bowl, add a little hot water and whisk until smooth. This will ensure it doesn’t clump when added to the soup later. Set aside.
- To the broth add chard (or other greens of choice), green onion, and tofu (if using silken, add at the end of cooking) and cook for 5 minutes. Then add nori and stir. Remove from heat, add miso mixture, and stir to combine.
- Taste and add more miso or a pinch of sea salt if desired. Serve warm. Best when fresh.
Video
Notes
*Adapted from vegetarian.about.com
BobW says
Very Good recipe.
I always like Miso Soup as a winter time “warm up” dish, although it’s good all year round.
My basic ingredients are water, scallion, daikon radish, shiitake mushroom, tofu, and seaweed.
Corey says
Loved this!I made it with your DIY veggie sushi and seaweed salad for the whole affect!
Clara says
Could I use Bok Choi instead of Chard?
Hi Clara! Yes you can!
Liz says
Great recipe! I love making miso soup, and needed a refresher. Always pleasantly surprised how simple it is.
I substituted Tofunafysh sauce (vegan, and made right here in Portland), and it was a great vegan substitute! (I omitted the seaweed).
I quickly stir fried the green onions and tofu in a dash of avocado oil and Fysh Sauce before adding the water. I added a few extra shakes at the end along with a small handful of green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Perfect for a winter evening.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Liz. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Monia says
I’m surprised that you don’t use or make dashi for your soup recipe. Most Japanese cooking requires or uses dashi…. not just water. You need to use Bonito (fish) shavings or flakes soaked with nori to make dashi. If you only use water, you miss out on the true taste of miso soup. You might want to give it a try (making the dashi) it isn’t difficult and it’s more accurate (traditional).
Thanks for sharing, Monia! We went for a simpler version with this recipe, but for a more traditional version that certainly sounds like a great suggestion!
Carol Hawkinson says
This is the most delicious, easy and quick to make soup ever. I’ve actually had it 3 out of the last four days either for breakfast or supper! And I can see much miso soup in my future! Thank you Soo much for this fabulous recipe. (Oh, and it’s a bit different time depending what I have in my veggie drawer.) Yum-o-rama!
Michael Allison says
You can buy a Japanese product called “Hondashi.” It’s a powdered Bonito soup base. Another ingredient in traditional Miso soup is cooking sake known as “Mirin.”
SHEILA says
I just finished making this and it is delicious!! However, my broth is not clear. Why?
Hi Sheila, it is normal for the broth to not be completely clear. The miso paste adds a cloudiness.
mick says
Yes this is correct. Once you have boiled your other ingredients, then turn off the heat. Add miso paste as it cools slightly then serve. Miso can be fish, soya or even fermented rice which are all produced in different parts of Japan. The live bacteria will not exist in dried packets. The miso is one of the well publicised super foods but only if you haven’t killed all the good bacteria produced by fermentation.
Mariah says
Is it okay if I don’t add the tofu?
Hi Mariah! You can leave the tofu out!
Daniel says
Hi! I was planning on making this but then I saw some of the ingredients. I was wondering if I had to add chard.
Thank you!!!
Feel free to omit!
Brooke says
How long does this soup keep? I’m thinking it will be my go-to for winter but lunches ;)
Hi! Not sure, but miso is definitely best when fresh. A couple days should be okay but a week may be a little long.
Brooke Stanton says
Okay. So fresh it is. Thanks though! :)
olivia says
I always come back to this recipe as a base for my miso soups – great proportions of ingredients! – and am doing so again tonight for a broccoli/mushroom/smoke tofu miso soup with a few udon noodles thrown in for good measure.
I also always use nori, red miso paste, as well as a generous couple of tbsps of grated fresh ginger to the broth, which gives is a great zing!
Thanks
Patty says
I was about to say the same thing but scrolled through comments first because I was pretty sure someone else would point that out. Very important not to boil miso.
Laura S. says
Ditto
Steve Dunnington-Hughes says
Prior to visiting Hawaii a few years ago I don’t recall ever having miso soup. For that entire week I had it every day at breakfast. Taking it in, it seemed both delicious and medicinal; in that its light feel and taste seemed as though it must be cleansing. A real delight for someone who prefers a savory vs. sweet morning meal. I do struggle to enjoy or even tolerate nori, therefore I very much like the idea of supplementing with collard greens or char. My only “fear” with all of the additions / changes is that at some point this is no longer the light “pick me up” appetizer side dish and begins to enter the realm of becoming an entrée.
Mary Slokar says
I just ate my 1st bowl & I feel soooo good! I used bok choy instead of swiss chard. I also tweaked it with the pepper grinder.
Marion Hayward says
If you are being treated for breast cancer, just be a little careful with foods containing soy if you are being treated with letrozole or other anti-hormones. Soy contains phytoestrogen and is one of the foods that should be eaten in moderation. As in, not two cups, and not every day.
Tim says
Great Soup! We added a bit of chili paste to punch it up a bit. I’m curious about the sodium content in your nutritional information section. Does it really have that much sodium?
Hi Tim, the sodium content will vary based on the brand of vegetable broth, miso, and how much/whether salt is added. Miso tends to be a higher sodium food.
Jes says
I just made this for dinner, it was quite nice. I added a couple of florets of broccolini and a cube of Massel vegetable stock, plus a little bit more water.
It was crunchy, salty, and very tasty. Thank you :-)
Shirlene says
Thrilled to have found this recipe – I added a bit more miso to the pot after my first bowl, and now it’s perfect! Love the chard!
Nikolai says
I make my food in bulk for the week so I don’t run out of time and end up eating garbage, would this soup keep for a week? If not, about three days?
Hi! Not sure, but miso is definitely best when fresh. A couple days should be okay but a week may be a little long.
Tania says
Been dying to make some homemade miso soup, but for the bonito, do we add it in with the miso paste or at another time?
Hi Tania! Add it in step 4!
DjSir says
What a great and easy to make, recipe?! Thanks for this, new find(miso paste). Here, in Norway, you can only find this in the World Market store. Now that I have almost a kilo of this paste, I’m on a mission to find varying recipes to use this with. By the way, this turned out super for our taste buds and easy on our digestive systems.
Gina says
Thank you Dana! This turned out great and looked beautiful, as all your recipes do :)
J.B.Kingsbury says
Can this be pressure canned?
Its worth a try!
J.B.Kingsbury says
:) I’ll try to be more specific in the future.
Would canning this soup change the properties and/or texture of the soup; for example, would the tofu disintegrate, would the miso taste change, anything along those lines?
Would it be safe?
Stig says
I was reading this enjoyable thread and actually made my first miso soup, prior to which made dashi, of course and all worked nicely. Lots of pointers from this thread so this canning question is so unexpected as to make me think LBK did not read it, really.
Let’s see, canning takes some 15 to 20 minutes, boiling at 100 Celsius so, no, the soup will retain all its miso-derived bacterial culture and taste and retain freshness indefinitely. Should be safe, too, for an extended stay on the ISS.
Annie says
Hi! I have an allergy to seaweed, but seeing as it keeps coming up in so many recipes that catch my eye these days, I think I really need to find a good substitute. I’ve googled this several times, but the only topics that come up are all about allergies, no suggestions for substitutions. Please tell me you know of something that can go in its place?! ?? Thanks in advance!
Hi Annie, you can sub for more greens! Won’t provide quite the same flavor, but will work for texture!
Jen @ sweetgreenkitchen.com says
I made a variation of this last night for dinner and my family loved it! I started by simmering kombu and thinly sliced ginger in a medium pot of water, then added in some shaved daikon & carrots, thinly sliced scallions and sliced baby bok choy. Then after turning off the heat mixed in 1 Tbsp dark miso and 1 Tbsp white miso then topped it off with some fresh scallions. This made enough for 4 of us. It was so easy and so delicious. Thanks to Dana and many of the commenters for inspiring me to finally make my own miso soup at home, declared better than we get from restaurants by my family!
Kristin Baker says
Excellent. I used 4 T of the miso to achieve a perfect amount of saltiness. Thank you!
Niels says
In my enthusiasm about the dashi, I forgot to tell you a much important thingy,
Your recipe is wonderful and well made, but you cannot call it miso soup because it does not meet the true meaning of miso soup. So you need to figure out another name for this kind of soup.
I hope this will help you to figure out how to cut between authentic thingies and new made thingies :)
Beijo,
Niels
Niels says
Hi Dana and everyone!
I agree with some of the above comments that it is very very very important to make Dashi!!!
Dashi and miso are bound to each other and cannot be separated!
I want to share with you my way of making a perfect dashi. It takes most of the time, but when finished, the miso soup can be made in less then 10 minutes :).
– Ingredients for non vegetarian dashi: Kombu/konbu (dried brown seaweed), Niboshi (dried sardines) and Katsuobushi (dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna or also named bonito flakes).
– Ingredients for vegetarian dashi: Kombu/Konbu and (very important) DRIED Shiitake (mushrooms).
To make dashi prepare every ingredient separately. Why? Because you can combine the dashi eventually by taste, flavour, season, seasoning, colour, kind of miso used etc..
I like my miso soup in the morning and late evening light and a bit sweet in taste, so I use shiro miso.
– Boil water and in the mean time wash the kombu (for 11/2 l. or around I use three blades of Kombu)
– Turn down the heat source to a minimum because the ingredients are not a lowed to be cooked!!!
– Put in the kombu and leave it for about 1 hour.
– prepare a strainer and a clean, boiled wet strain towel (to drie dishes) and strain the dashi.
– than put the dashi and the kombu again on the heat source and leave it again for 1 hour
– strain again the same way and repeat this 2 times more.
So in total 3 times straining.
The same you do with the Niboshi, or Katsuobushi, or Shiitake, what ever you prefer and like to combine afterwards.
I have only 1 heat source, so it takes me 6 hours work for 2 ingredients :). But it is worth the effort!!! I really really ensure you!
Eventually, you can for example when you have 2 ingredients prepared separately, like Kombu and Shiitake, if you want some more heavier taste, use 1 measure Kombu and two measures of Shiitake…or if you want a perfect balance, use 2 of each, etc.. This way you can choose the strength, balance and so on of the dashi in combination with the miso of your choice.
Now I use shiro miso, so I don’t want to put in heavy tasting ingredients, but a balance of soft and spicy.
So like many Japanese do (and I am not from Japan, but from the Netherlands ehehehe), scallion, small cut, some small cubes of plain white soft tofu and thats it. The basic miso soup is ready!
The dashi I also use for making noodle soup, also one of my almost daily food, next to miso soup. With shiro miso I use udon noodles, sliced lotus root, small cut scallion, seaweed or a mix of kinds of seaweed (depends on my mood and apatite and taste), raw egg (but only at own risk :) ) and thats it.
I have no need for soy sauce, salt or anything else, because that only makes a bad soup in my opinion.
Only natural ingredients and to be honest, there is enough salt in the bonito flakes, Kombu etc.
So, i hope you enjoyed reading my comment and put some effort also in the dashi and I really can tell it will change your taste for miso soup for ever and you get addicted and want to spent 6 hours in the kitchen to make dashi!!! At least, I do :D.
Happy miso soup time!!!
Niels.
Julie Gauthier-Dubé says
A fair warning to everyone: this is NOT a traditionnal miso soup and it will NOT taste like one.
– Nori will disintegrate in the water.
– Miso mixed in water does not taste as good because it is supposed to be mixed in dashi.
To make a really tasty miso soup, you will need kombu (seaweed) and make dashi (vegetarian soup stock) with it. You can add bonito flakes for a non-vegetarian (and very tasty) version. Do not use nori, use dried wakame; nori will get soggy and even desintegrate in the soup. I know because I tried to do it this way once (not this exact recipe), thinking this is how it was made. It did not taste even close and I was very disappointed. You can also add shiitakes, green onions and tofu to your tastes.
Olivia says
I made this- it was great. I did use an organic bouillon cube in the 4 cups of water- I think that helped boost flavor. Added a TON of sprouted firm tofu and chives. Definitely used the 4 TBS of miso. Definitely eating the entire pot myself :)
Olivia
April says
Just made this, but I didn’t have green onion or chard so I used fresh ginger and broccoli, still super good.
Calvin says
A few tips: Instead of Nori seaweed, choose Wakame. Nori sheets will get soggy. And very important, add the miso once the soup has cooled down a bit! Miso contains many beneficial microorganisms that are killed when you cook it.
April says
I was wondering about whether the healthy bacteria would die if it’s heated…do you have to eat miso soup cold then?
Junko Noguchi says
You forgot to add important ingredient. Dashi. Miso soup without dashi is not a perfect.
Keli H. says
This was absolutely delicious!! I added an extra sheet or two of nori, twice the amount of swiss chard, some sliced shittake mushrooms and an extra tbsp of miso. It came out fabulously! My new favorite recipe!
Corinne says
As a fan of the microbiome effects of fermented food, I don’t like to heat the miso, as it kills all the good bacteria. So I make the soup, and then let it cool to below about 105, then add the miso which I have mixed with room temperature water. But waiting for it to cool is REALLY hard as this is also one of my faves. Love the suggestion about ginger! Tonight I also added some cauliflower.
Lexi says
After it’s cooled, do you warm it back up? Would that also kill the bacteria?
Amy says
When I made this I didn’t have any nori so I subbed it out for kale and it worked great! I thought there was a perfect amount of miso paste, though I did lean more towards 4 Tbsps. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Kathryn Tate says
I just wanted to say that you can use a vegan version of bonito
sauce, “kombu” sauce. It is made with seaweed. There are recipes
online or you can buy instant Kombu from amazon.com.
Lacey Fox says
My husband loves miso, but I’ve never made anything involving tofu. So I’m a little worried on how to prepare it. Any suggestions?
Hi Lacey, this is a great recipe to start with if you’re new to tofu, just follow the directions and all should go well!
Jonathan says
Great! But I had to use 8x the recommended amount of miso to get the restaurant flavor.
Sarah says
Perfection!!!!! Thanks for this recipe!
Beth Hoskins says
Would red miso work in this recipe?
Yes!
Ilona says
Love, love, love you blog. Recipes are inspiring and very tasty. One quick question, it is my understanding that you add the miso paste after the all of the cooking is done and the soup has cooled a bit because otherwise the fermented bacteria is killed. Is this understanding wrong?
I add the miso paste once you remove it from the heat!
Gabrielle says
I wanted to love this recipe, I really did :( My entire family of four loves miso soup, but none of us could eat this. It tasted nothing like the soup we’ve grown to live at Japanese restaurants. I’m wondering if I did something wrong? I made it exactly as the recipe states, with items I went specifically to an Asian market to pick up, and only left out the chard because I forgot to pick some up. I also used a different kind if seaweed that the owner handed me specifically for miso soup that wasn’t the regular sheets. Maybe that made the difference?
Maybe I’ll give this a try one more time with the sheets of nori.
Oh well, I guess you can’t win them all :( I’ll keep looking for a recipe that better suits our palates.
Gabrielle says
**Grown to love
Lindsay says
It definatly wasn’t the seaweed and using nori wouldn’t make a diffrence espessially because isn’t the seaweed in traditional miso wakame is. You might want to try a dashi stock powder, miso paste with dashi or find a recipe to make your own. Dashi is what add’s a lot of the flavor. Hope this helps.
Jim Conner says
I use miso in all sorts of dishes. My favorite is when making yellow grits. I tell my Korean grocer I make my grits with miso and he looks at me as if I am crazy. Probably am, but DANG it tastes goooooooood.
tanya says
I made this with tofu, green onions, and pickled ginger. It is so fast, and easy to make, and very yummy too!!
Gabby S says
I LOVE this recipe! I have made it several times. Very customizable as well. Last night I made it without green onions/scallions and added in ribboned carrot, julienned daikon, and soba noodles. Thanks for all of the incredible recipes Dana!
louise says
can i sub red miso paste in this? have some at home I want to use up. p.s. I love every recipe I’ve tried of yours :)
Thanks for your support, Louise! Yes, red miso should work!
Lecia says
Just made this for lunch and it was heavenly!! Simple, healthy and quick… my kinda meal. Thanks for sharing!
man in a shed says
oh forgot , courgette and bransprouts
man in a shed says
hi , I make this but I get carried away ! so it’s probably not a miso soup but tastes good , I use a homemade light chicken stock , miso paste , small pkt bonito flakes , bok choy , any greens in season , chestnut mushrooms , spring onions , lots of chilli garlic ginger , carrot (matchsticked) small bit of shaoxing wine and mirin , at the end add tofu pour onto a bowl of noodles that have chilli oil and soya sauce through them , it’s a kinda Chinese/Japanese veg stew it’s filling and great for a hangover . you’ll have to exscuse me i’m from England
naomi says
I would do exactly the same, love!
Elaziel says
Hi! I tried the recipe and let me just say I’m new to cooking, so this may be a beginners mistake. I was a little dissapointed with the flavor because I felt like it needed some salt. This may be obvious for some, but does the recipe need salt or for all recipes do we add salt at our own discretion? The other flavores were incredible but I still felt like my miso missing something. It didn’t quiet taste like I expected and that dends to happen a lot to me.
karen says
In keeping with the Asian flavors, try adding Soy Sauce to taste. Maybe start with a half teaspoon, then taste, adding a half teaspoon as needed.
Ma Recipes says
Miso soup is my favorite Japanese soup of all time. I usually buy the miso paste that contain dashi stock. It saves me a lot of time for a bowl of delicious miso soup. haha!
Great idea!
Miki says
Looks good! Clean and simple look also makes it very Japanese cuisine to me. I am glad to see miso getting popular outside of Japan. At home, we Japanese actually put everything in it, making it a little looking messy but we do not care for home cooking, scallops, oysters, shrimps, white meat fish, shereded pork, even bacon (try with canned corn) , potatoes, cabbege, spinatch, onion, even tomate (try with ginger) and so on and on. Miso is amazingly accommodating. It is like white source in French, tomate source in Italian, or curry in Indian. Please try and experiment ;)
Miki says
Forgot sharing this; it is said that mixing different type of miso always makes it even more tasty. Miso from north part of Japan and south Japan; the far they are to each other, the better. I mix white miso and red miso. And like some people saying here, never never boil miso, always put at the end of your cooking after the ingredients are almost cooked by boiling water (or with Dashi if your miso paste does not pre-packaged with it). That’s authentic and what we learned from our moms. Make sure if your miso does not contain Dashi, you need to buy it separately; Japanese dashi powder (any type is ok) is the most convenient.
Jazmin says
I tried this a few months back and im making it again tonight, it was delicious and sooo easy!! I don’t know how to cook at all so I was very thankful for the easy instructions and small amount of ingredients. It took me awhile to find the miso since I live in a really small area, but finally found it. I ended up using the red miso instead, 7 squares of a dry seaweed pack, and a small amount of the chopped onion. I had miso allll day haha. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thomas says
Awesome ! I just printed out an added to my cookbook. Thanks a lot for this recipe and the amazing pictures.
Greeting from Corsica
Thomas
Osima says
Absolutely !!! Get all the health benefits by simply NOT BOILING THE Miso!!!!
Filippo says
I’ve tried this at a chinese restaurant and felt great after eating it.
i made it myself at home with this recipe and oh my god… some of the best soup Ive ever had
Easy, Simple, delicious, Healthy, Cheap,
… just the way i like it
i might throw a few sliced mushrooms in there next time just like some restaurants do.
i will recommend this to everyone Thank you!
Naheed Hossain says
Awesome! I’m going to try and make some miso soup right now! !
Corinne says
I made this tonight, having never made miso soup. Delicious! It’s going to be a regular in my life. Thank you!
Ginger Locke says
I made your miso soup recipe. Amazing! I added some Asian Green Chile, used Bok Choy and added Mushrooms to it. It had a great amount of subtle heat, the bok choy was great and the mushrooms added a different type of texture. Thanks for sharing!
ronna says
I just used my last 2 packets of instant wakame miso soup and thought to myself I’m sure I can find a DIY recipe online. Here I am – the first site that Google provided!
It’s a chilly fall day today and I wanted something to warm me up. I added extra sliced green onion and a bag of shiratake noodles and a bit of soysauce.
I can hardly wait until my next outing to purchase miso and starting making this myself from scratch.
:o)
Nicole says
Instead of noodles could I add zucchini noodles (zoodles)? I have never had miso soup so I’m not sure if the zucchini would taste good with it.
I think so! Let me know if you give it a try.
Danielle says
OH. MY. GOODNESS. Slightly altered this recipe (used vegetable stock instead of water, kale instead of chard and 4-5x as much of it to make it SUPER chock full of greens, but no nori as I had used it all up on the sushi rolls) to share at work with a bunch of fellow sushi fanatics with discerning tastes for authentic miso. Even though this was my first attempt at miso soup, they’ve suggested I quit my day job and open a soup & sushi truck. Thanks, it was amazingly delicious with the added bonuses of being super healthy and incredibly fast, easy, and affordable to make – it really is the perfect food!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Danielle!
betsy says
Not sure if someone else mentioned this, but miso is a probiotic powerhouse and this may be part of why we crave it when we’re under the weather or our bellies are out of sorts. That said, it’s really important to preserve all of that life by not adding the miso directly to boiling water/dashi or heating it too much. If you want to keep your miso live (which you totally should!) it should be added after the soup has been removed from the stove for a few minutes, infact, I always suggest that the dashi/broth without the miso be served and a spoon with the proper amount of miso either balanced on top or served on a plate along side. This will ensure that the water has cooled sufficiently (on the walk to the table) to keep some of that goodness bouncin’
Adrienne says
I always see the miso and Trader Joe’s and think to buy it but have never had a miso soup recipe in mind for it but now I do! Hopefully their miso is vegan :)
Alejo says
This is amazing! Just made some, and I’m so happy with how easy and delicious it is!! Thanks so much. Also, I added a little bit of soy sauce to make it taste a little more like from a restaurant, worked really well to give it more of a salty and “classic Japanese” flavor.
Wonderful! thanks for sharing!
Krista the foody says
I just love Miso, been eating it since I was a child, it’s full of probiotics and is super good for our digestive system. I love addomg om Asian veggies to it such as baby bok choy, spring onions and bean sprouts. I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it. YUMMMY
Marcia says
I love miso soup and I having cravings for it quite often. The restaurant soups are good but I always wish they had more. This recipe was easy and absolutely wonderful. I am cooking impaired so having simple recipes to follow is imperative. I didn’t do the seaweed this time but I will next time. Also, I want more green stuff in my soup and I don’t think I added enough this time. I loved loved loved this recipe and loved my miso soup!!!!
It was especially nice on this cold day.
paul says
Agreed… Kombu & Bonito Dashi or bust…
Walter says
Or at least the kombu :-) there are still a handful of traditional Buddhist chefs in Japan who make their dashi without the katsuobushi. So it’s ok to do so ;-)
Chrislyn says
Tried this recipe and my 7 yr old son wanted goest it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s so good and easy. Thanks so much for the recipe.
MisoHungry says
Eep-one of the most important things to remember about making miso soup is to never boil it once you’ve added the miso! Technically you can do whatever you want, but that’s conventional wisdom on the matter.
Shelby says
I made this and it was absolutely delicious. I love miso. I followed this except used the packets of dry miso which say one packet for one cup but I only used 2 packets and it tasted great. I also added some Maifun noodle which are basically rice noodle. I loved this recipe so much.
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
I made this tonight for supper (yes, just for me; mwaha) and oh my goodness — super delish!! I didn’t have any tofu or green onions so I used leeks and kale instead plus some shredded carrot. This soup is ridiculously warm and cozy — plus I think it made me feel not so very under the weather. (: Thanks for sharing, Dana!
Marta says
Hi!
What kind of miso do you use? I’m about to buy some, but the same store has creamy sweet miso and shiro intense miso… I’m not sure if they have different purposes..
Great Blog!
Thanks
I don’t recall as I don’t have it anymore but I got that at an Asian grocery store.
Sarah says
Do you think making the soup with a veggie broth instead of water and then having the plain miso and not the fish flavored would work well?
Yes!
Kguadl says
I have made miso wo dashi and they aren’t worth it. Do not taste authentic.
The Cooking Lady says
I am doubling this recipe for my dinner tonight. I am having 5 teeth extracted, and what better to ingest first but a homemade bowl of miso soup. So simple and oh so good.
Mariad says
Added a few things to it, it was absolutely awesome! I added shitake mushrooms, grated ginger, grated garlic clove and replaced spinach that I had on hand for the green. Ready in 15 min, comforting, healthy, what else can you ask for? Loved it!
Larry says
Just a heads up for your readers, not all miso soup is vegan. Many of the miso soup served in sushi places are made with dried fish stock. Obviously always ask and check labels at stores to make sure this ingredient isn’t in your mix. I had friends who would get miso soup for years and not realize they was fish stock in it.
Thanks for the tip, Larry! We knew that but may have neglected to specify that in the recipe. Thanks again!
Kale says
Great recipe, I can’t wait to change up my home miso soup with the chard. One recommendation though is to replace the nori seaweed with wakame seaweed if you can find it, they typically sell it dried in any japanese market near the soup broth and other seaweed. Wakame has a more enjoyable texture than nori for soups, in my opinion. You would prepare it the same way you boil the nori in your version. Give it a try, you won’t regret it!
Josh B says
This recipe was my first attempt at anything Japanese, and my first attempt at soup from scratch. And oh my this was amazingly delicious! I don’t get to use tofu much in my house as I’m the only one that likes it so that was a nice addition as well. Thank you so much for putting this together!
Janice Edwards says
I love Miso soup and have been making it on and off for a long time. I love adding tofu and crispy fried onions I get in a package at the store. The flavors along with the greens is amazing and filling.
Stephanie says
I have been trying to find a classic, vegan miso soup and this is exactly what I was looking for! I just made it and it is amazing and perfect!
Stacey says
How long does the soup last in the fridge? I’m thinking about making a batch for the week..
Not sure, but miso is definitely best when fresh.
Walter says
You should make your own dashi (seaweed stock). It lasts up to a week in the refrigerator and it takes 10 minutes to turn your dashi into miso soup.
http://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
Vv says
Yum! I love anything Asian-related, and I’m also a sushi feen. I must try this at home! :D
Keslie says
Great recipe! I added a little ginger to spice it up. Great base recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
Great idea! I love ginger. Glad you liked this, Kelsie!
Kevin says
What type of ginger? I have fresh, powdered and paste in a tube. The addition of ginger sounds really good! On a side note, I used almost double the miso paste suggested and four sheets of seaweed. Also, I added the spring onion as a garnish at the end rather than an ingredient. That way you get the flavor and they stay crisp.
I would recommend sliced fresh ginger! Then remove it before serving.
Larzi says
For the record, it’s not vegan or Vegetarian if has Benito/fish in it. That being said, Miso soup, minus the fish, is my absolute favourite soup. I could eat it everyday if my husband would allow it! Heh
Thanks for the tip, Larzi! I knew that but may have neglected to specify that in the recipe. Thanks again!
jordan says
•3-4 Tbsp white miso paste (fermented soy bean paste) with or without bonito (fish flavor, though bonito makes it non vegan- vegetarian-friendly.) Dana Stated it in her recipe.
Ashley says
made this over the weekend, delicious!
Jerilyn says
This looks great! I’ve been looking for a miso soup recipe like this. And you definitely need to try making your own sushi!! It’s not as hard as it seems. If I can do it being cooking challenged, anyone can =)
Angela Brown says
I love making Miso Soup at home…it’s such a simple recipe and, yet, is one that, in the past, I used to only have when I went out to eat. In recent months, Miso has became a well-loved staple in our fridge. Great recipe (and pictures, too). Thanks for sharing!
gabriel says
I am basically addicted to miso and it’s one of those things that I’ve never tried making, now that I know the secrets to success I’m probably gonna overdose :D
Tammela says
This sounds wonderful! And I also love pickled ginger.
Jess says
What is it about those flavors that are so good and comforting and healthy feeling!? LOVE miso soup – this one looks fantastic and so easy!
Dee says
I couldn’t agree more! Healthy AND comforting? Bring it on! :)
Katie says
You have no idea how excited I am about this recipe! Just last week I went on a hunt around our town trying to find miso soup, and it is sold NOWHERE. I am going to have this TODAY. Thank you!
haha, love it!
Tieghan says
I have never had miso, but this looks so good! I need to give it a try. Your amazing detailing thoughts on it have me craving something I have never even tasted! LOL!
Looks so good!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Cool! I always order miso soup at Sushi places but have never even thought of making it at home! Fun!
Christina says
I’m totally with you on the sushi obsession, could not live without it! I’ve had some miso powder in my cupboard for soooo long, do you think it would work here?
Not sure. Never used miso powder, but it’s worth a shot!
Eric M Sakazaki says
I like to add one egg whipped to my Miso Soup and Katsu don Dashi……..<3
Eric M Sakazaki says
Eggplant also :)
NemoNadie says
Yeah, authentic miso soup is made with dashi broth, not plain water. But dried bonito flakes can be hard to come by (in order to make dashi broth) and I don’t trust processed dashi powder :/
Bianx says
Most of minimalistbaker — at least all the recipes that I’ve used..are plant-based meals. So while typically miso paste/soup has bonito/dashi this is also good vegan option :)!
I’m in the process of making it right now. And gla
Bethy says
I do a poached egg in mine for breakfast. What is Katsu don Dashi? Never mind I will google it
Dana McManus says
How was the Miso?
Karen says
Powder is horrid. Put me off making my own miso but just bought the paste to try and even just trying miso paste in water & nothing else was pretty good. Can’t wait to try experimenting!
Emma says
Miso is a staple ingredient in my kitchen. Adds a great flavour to everything :) I went through a long period of having a cup of miso soup as a side for lunch everyday but I love the idea of boosting it with with tofu and greens.
Snowcone244 says
well I’ve never had miso soup so I can’t really relate.
Dan says
You don’t know what you’re missing…
Melanie Blatt says
This was a great recipe and can be tweaked easily! I made my soup “loaded” by adding sauteed oyster mushrooms and bean curd thread (found it at HMART and looked interesting). I subbed the tofu for puffed tofu, which absorbed some liquid so I added a bit more, and used kale for my greens. I didn’t need to add any salt. It was perfect!