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Japanese

Miso Soup

Kombu and dried shiitake steep into a simple dashi, then white rice miso, tofu, and wakame are added off a boil. The miso is whisked in so it stays smooth and fragrant.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Bowl of miso soup with tofu cubes, wakame, and scallions

Why you’ll love it

  • Kombu and shiitake make a vegetarian dashi without bonito.
  • Pulling the pot off the boil before the miso goes in protects the flavor.
  • Wakame needs only a minute in hot broth.
  • Silken tofu warms through without being stirred hard.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Put the water, kombu, and dried shiitake in a saucepan. Heat over medium until the broth reaches about 180°F and the surface steams, about 8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

  2. 2

    Remove the kombu. Hold the shiitake in the broth at a bare simmer, under 200°F, for 5 minutes, then take them out, slice them, and set them aside.

  3. 3

    Take the pot off the heat. Ladle out 1/2 cup broth and whisk it with the miso until smooth.

  4. 4

    Pour the miso mixture back into the pot. Do not boil it.

  5. 5

    Add the tofu, sliced shiitake, and wakame. Let them sit in the hot broth 2 minutes until the wakame softens and the tofu is hot.

  6. 6

    Top with scallions and serve.

Pro tips

  • Boiling miso makes it smell flat. Keep the pot below a simmer after it is added.
  • Use white rice miso labeled gluten-free if you need this bowl gluten-free.
  • Silken tofu breaks if you stir roughly. Slide it in and let it warm.

Easy substitutions

silken tofu
firm tofu, cubed
dried wakame
a handful of baby spinach
white rice miso
yellow miso, still gluten-free if you need that

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container up to 2 days.

Reheating

Warm over low heat until hot but not boiling so the miso stays fragrant.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
108
Protein
10 g
Carbs
8 g
Fat
4 g
Fiber
2 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients