Miso Soup

Miso soup is easy to make, extremely heathy and delicious. There are many variations on this soup – the recipe below is for a basic version that can be enjoyed anytime.

Healthy Soup Vegan

Miso Soup is probably the most well known dish in Japan. Everybody has heard of it and most people have tasted it. It is the quintessential staple in Japan and can be eaten with every meal.

In Japan, soybeans are king of the vegetables. They are used to make tofu and soy sauce, and they can also be ground into paste and fermented to make miso. And just as soybeans are king of the vegetables, this is the king of soups. It’s an extremely versatile and delicious soup, and can be enjoyed with every meal.

You would be hard pressed to find a restaurant in Japan that didn’t serve miso soup with breakfast. When you order sushi, Mathis amazing soup always comes as a side. And one more thing to note about miso soup in Japan… refills are almost always free!

Miso soup is a staple that is rooted in popular culture in Japan, and there are as many versions of it available as there are cooks in Japan.

Miso can be made with a variety of different types of misa pastes yielding very different flavors. Miso with clams, shrimp, mushrooms and other vegetables can be prepared. And if that’s not enough, miso is also used as a base for miso ramen.

Learn to prepare your own miso soup with this easy and authentic recipe.

Original published September 2021, Republished September 2023

Miso Soup

This simple miso soup is something we have every morning with breakfast at my house. My daughter grew up eating it and I have been hooked on it for at least the last 20 years. Ingredients are easy to find, and it can be prepared in many different ways. We never eat miso soup with a spoon- we use chopsticks to eat the tofu and wakame and sip the soup right out of the bowl.

I use “awase” miso which is a mix of white and red. I prepare the dashi a little strong because the flavor can easily be overpowered by the miso if you are not careful.

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
5 mins	20 mins	5 servings

PREP	5 mins
COOKING	20 mins
YIELD	5 servings

Ingredients:

1 packet package dashi flakes (8g)
3 TBSP miso paste
1 TBSP dry wakame
1 package of tofu, cut into cubes (350g)
5 cups water

Instructions:

Prepare the dashi by adding the dashi flakes to the water and heating on medium. Stir occasionally to dissolve the flakes. DO NOT bring to a boil.

Add the miso paste. Heat on medium for another 10 minutes until the paste is completely dissolved. DO NOT let the souls boil- turn the heat down if necessary.

Add the wakame and tofu. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes until the wakame is completely reconstituted.

Serve in a soup bowl. Top with chopped scallion if desired.

Notes:

Never, ever, ever boil miso soup. Heat the soup up to a pre-boil, but boiling will ruin the soup.
For this recipe you can use any type of miso paste you want- red, white, or mixed. I prefer the mixed miso.
Other ingredients frequently added to miso soup are chopped scallion, white sesame seeds, and fu (dried wheat gluten).

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.

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Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.