Description
A comforting and traditional Japanese Homemade Miso Soup recipe featuring a savory kombu and bonito dashi broth, silky soft tofu, wakame seaweed, and fresh green onions. Ready in just 20 minutes, this miso soup is a nourishing appetizer or light meal for 4 servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Dashi Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), â…“ oz (10 g), 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), loosely packed 3 cups for stronger flavor (optional for non-vegetarian version)
Miso Soup Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu)
- 4 Tbsp miso paste (about 1 Tbsp or 18 g per cup/240 ml dashi)
- 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prepare Dashi: Pour 4 cups of water and add the kombu to a saucepan. Slowly heat the water to just before boiling, then remove the kombu to avoid bitterness. If using bonito flakes for a traditional dashi, add the flakes now, simmer for a few minutes, then strain the broth to remove solids.
- Prepare Ingredients: Thinly slice the green onion/scallion and cut the soft tofu into bite-sized cubes. Soak the dried wakame seaweed in water for a few minutes until rehydrated and then drain.
- Make the Soup: Return the dashi to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat, dissolve the miso paste into the broth by whisking or stirring gently, taking care not to boil the miso to preserve its flavor and probiotics. Add the tofu cubes, soaked wakame, and sliced green onions to the soup.
- Serve: Once heated through, serve the miso soup immediately in bowls while warm, ensuring a fresh and comforting flavor.
Notes
- Do not boil the soup after adding miso paste to preserve its delicate flavors and nutritional benefits.
- For a vegetarian or vegan version, omit the bonito flakes and add more kombu or dried shiitake mushrooms for umami.
- Soft tofu (silken) is traditional for this soup, but firm tofu can be used if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of miso to taste; some prefer a lighter or stronger miso flavor.
- Kombu can be reused once for a lighter dashi or composted after use.
