Japanese Miso Soup
Miso must never boil. Boiling kills its beneficial enzymes and bacteria and flattens the flavour into plain saltiness. Slake it in a ladle of broth on the side, and stir it back into the pot after the heat is off.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Calories
- 85
Miso soup is the everyday soup of Japan, served at breakfast as readily as at dinner. It takes ten minutes, and one rule decides whether it tastes deep or merely salty.
Method
-
1
Steep the kombu
Soak the kombu in the cold water for 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). Cold steeping draws out the umami without any bitterness.
⏱ 20 min -
2
The dashi
Heat the water with the kombu over low heat to just below boiling and lift the kombu out. If the water boils with the kombu in it, the broth turns slimy and bitter.
⏱ 7 min -
3
The bonito
Add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat immediately, leave for 3 minutes until they sink, then strain the broth.
⏱ 4 min -
4
Wakame and tofu
Soak the wakame in warm water for 5 minutes and drain. Warm the broth and add the tofu and mushrooms for 3 minutes.
⏱ 8 min -
5
The miso — the critical step
Turn off the heat. Take a ladle of broth into a cup and dissolve the miso in it with a fork until completely smooth, then stir it back into the pot.
⏱ 3 min -
6
Serve
Add the wakame and spring onion and serve immediately. Do not reheat it to a boil.
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Tips that actually matter
- Miso goes in after the heat is off — boiling destroys both its flavour and its benefits.
- Dissolve it in a ladle on the side rather than dropping it into the pot, where it clumps.
- Never boil the kombu; it releases a slimy, bitter compound.
- White miso is sweeter and lighter, red is saltier and stronger. Start with white.
People also ask
What is miso?
A fermented soybean paste inoculated with koji mould. It is high in salt with a deep umami flavour, keeps for months in the fridge, and is used in soups and marinades.
Can I make it without dashi?
Yes — plain water works and the soup is still good, though dashi adds noticeable depth. The simplest dashi is kombu steeped in cold water overnight.
Is it vegetarian?
If you leave out the bonito, yes — a kombu-only broth makes it fully plant-based, and that is the version made in Japanese temples.
Cook mode
Japanese Miso Soup
-
1
Steep the kombu
Soak the kombu in the cold water for 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). Cold steeping draws out the umami without any bitterness.
-
2
The dashi
Heat the water with the kombu over low heat to just below boiling and lift the kombu out. If the water boils with the kombu in it, the broth turns slimy and bitter.
-
3
The bonito
Add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat immediately, leave for 3 minutes until they sink, then strain the broth.
-
4
Wakame and tofu
Soak the wakame in warm water for 5 minutes and drain. Warm the broth and add the tofu and mushrooms for 3 minutes.
-
5
The miso — the critical step
Turn off the heat. Take a ladle of broth into a cup and dissolve the miso in it with a fork until completely smooth, then stir it back into the pot.
-
6
Serve
Add the wakame and spring onion and serve immediately. Do not reheat it to a boil.
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