Miso Soup
A simple Japanese miso soup with kombu, white miso, wakame, tofu and spring onions. Light, savoury and full of umami.
Equipment
- Weighing scales
- Chopping board
- Chefs knife
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or chopsticks
- Jug
- Medium saucepan
- Ladle
- Strainer
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 1000 ml Water - filtered
- 20 g Kombu
- 10 g Wakame (dried)
- 300 g Silken tofu (cubed)
- 80 g Miso
- 20 g Spring onions (sliced thinly)
Method
Prepare the spring onions and wakame
- Finely slice the spring onions. Place the wakame in a small bowl, cover with water and soak for about 5 minutes, or until fully rehydrated and softened. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the kombu broth
- Add the filtered water and kombu to a saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and slowly bring towards a gentle simmer, allowing the kombu to infuse the water with flavour.
Remove the kombu
- Before the broth reaches a full boil, carefully remove the kombu from the saucepan and discard or reserve it for another use.
Add the tofu and wakame
- Gently add the cubed tofu and rehydrated wakame to the broth. Warm through over low heat, stirring carefully so the tofu keeps its shape.
Dissolve the miso
- Spoon a small amount of the warm broth into a small bowl and add the miso paste. Whisk or stir with chopsticks until completely smooth and free from lumps.
Add the miso to the soup
- Reduce the heat to low and gently stir the dissolved miso mixture back into the saucepan. Do not allow the soup to boil once the miso has been added.
Warm through
- Continue heating gently for 1–2 minutes, until the tofu and wakame are warmed through.
Serve
- Ladle the miso soup into serving bowls, garnish with the sliced spring onions and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Choose your miso: White miso works especially well in this recipe because of its mild, slightly sweet flavour. Brown rice miso is a good option if you prefer a deeper, more savoury flavour.
Soy-free option: Chickpea miso is a good alternative if you prefer to avoid soy.
Soak the kombu: If time allows, soak the kombu in the filtered water for 20–30 minutes before heating. This helps develop a fuller, more rounded broth.
Do not boil the miso: Once the miso has been added, keep the soup over very low heat and avoid boiling. This helps preserve its delicate flavour and aroma and may also help protect live cultures in some unpasteurised miso.
Adjust to taste: Miso varies in saltiness and intensity, so taste the broth before serving and add a little more if needed.
Optional additions: Shiitake, shimeji or enoki mushrooms are excellent additions. You can also add seasonal greens, finely sliced vegetables or other sea vegetables for a more substantial soup.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 250mlCalories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSodium: 797mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 82IUVitamin B1: 0.1mgVitamin B2: 0.1mgVitamin B3: 0.5mgVitamin B5: 0.1mgVitamin B6: 0.1mgVitamin B12: 0.01µgVitamin C: 1mgVitamin E: 0.1mgVitamin K: 20µgCalcium: 58mgCopper: 0.3mgFolate: 21µgIron: 1mgManganese: 0.2mgMagnesium: 44mgPhosphorus: 84mgSelenium: 1µgZinc: 1mg
