What Is Miso Soup?

Miso soup is a flavorful traditional soup and the most simple soup in Japanese cooking. The main ingredients are miso paste, dashi, and other ingredients such as tofu, vegetables, and seaweed.

It is a savory soup and goes well with any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the morning is the best time as it warms your body inside out.

In Japan, miso soup is a staple food we enjoy it almost everyday at home or dining out. You may have seen it on the menu of Japanese restaurants as they often offer a delicious bowl of miso soup, along with a bowl of steamed rice and other dishes.

I always feel at peace when eating miso soup. It's proven that miso paste contains soothing properties to help you relax and calm.

What does miso soup taste like?

Japanese-style meal. — Japanese-style meal

A bowl of miso soup is a flavorful and savory experience, with hints of sweetness from the added ingredients. This flavor profile is brought by the key ingredients - miso paste and dashi stock.

Miso soup can be an exciting and flavorful journey for your taste buds. Depending on what is added, the dish may take on a sweet or savory tone; onion and satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato) bring in hints of sweetness, while dried seaweed adds depth with its ocean aroma and chewy texture, not to mention the creamy smoothness that comes with adding tofu.

What's in miso soup?

What is miso soup usually made of? Miso soup's key ingredients are:

Miso paste
Dashi (soup stock)
Ingredients of your choice (such as tofu and seaweed)

A perfect harmony of miso and dashi adds an extra layer of flavor to the soup and creating a depth.

There are many choices for each ingredient and recipe such as tofu miso soup, wakame seaweed miso soup, daikon miso soup, and many more.

For example, what's in tofu miso soup? It's one of the most popular miso soup recipes, and they are made of these ingredients:

Miso paste
dashi powder
Tofu
Scallions or green onions

With just a few simple ingredients, creating something delicious at home is easier than you think. Let's dive into how to make it!

How do you make miso soup?

Making miso soup is a breeze! Gather the ingredients and you will have delicious, fragrant broth ready in 5 minutes (if you use instant dashi powder).

See the instructions below.

How to make miso soup (5 Easy Steps)

How to make it is so simple and easy as follows:

Step #1 - Cut soup ingredients of choice
Step #2 - Put soup ingredients, dashi, and water in a saucepan
Step #3 - Bring to a boil and simmer
Step #4 - Add miso paste
Step #5 - Dissolve miso paste

Please see more details in this tofu miso soup video.

That's it! Miso soup is best enjoyed when it's hot, so serve it immediately!

By the way, we use these types of Miso soup bowls (Owan in Japanese) for serving miso soup. It's light and easy to hold. In Japan, the tradition is to enjoy food from a bowl held in your palm. (It's perfectly acceptable to drink directly from the small plate in Japanese culture).

What is miso paste?

Miso paste is fermented soybean paste and a traditional Japanese condiment that adds complexity to any dish. Its unique umami flavor can transform simple dishes into something special.

It brings many health benefits for you as we have an old saying that eating miso every day keeps you away from a doctor.

Click here to check my beginner guide to learn more about miso paste!

Pick authentic miso paste

It takes time to make miso paste, like 6 months to a year, but some of the products are out much shorter. These products contain additives to fake the deep flavor and control the quality, which doesn't have an authentic taste.

Miso paste is the key ingredient in miso soup, so I recommend picking genuine products which only contain rice, koji rice, and salt on the label, like this miso paste.

What is dashi stock?

Dashi stock is another essential ingredient in miso soup. It's widely used in many Japanese dishes.

General dashi ingredients are Katsuobushi (Bonito flakes), Kombu seaweed (Kelp), Dried shiitake mushroom, and Niboshi (Baby anchovy).

It brings a unique flavor and aroma to the soup. You could substitute it with vegetable broth, but you won't experience real miso soup.

Store-bought dashi powder is easy and quick, but homemade dashi soup makes your soup more delicious. Making dashi from scratch is extra work, but if you are looking for authentic Japanese restaurant quality, I highly recommend trying these recipes!

Homemade dashi recipes:

Awase dashi (Katsuobushi and kombu seaweed) - Standard dashi. Used in various Japanese dishes.
Niboshi dashi (Baby anchovy) - Add strong fishy flavor. This is my favorite for making miso soup.
Vegan dashi (Shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed) - Mild and light flavored plant-based dashi

Click here to find more about dashi stock.

Soup Ingredients of choice

The miso soup ingredients of choice are limitless, so we don't get bored eating the soup every day. Soybean products (tofu, aburaage), vegetables, dried seaweed, and clams are commonly used.

Variety of ingredients

If you are looking for more variety, here's a list of ingredients!

Root vegetables: Daikon, onion, carrot, sweet potato
Leafy green vegetables: Spinach, bok choy, komatsuna
Mushrooms: Shiitake, shimeji, maitake, enoki
Seaweed: Wakame, kombu, nori
Soybean products: Tofu, aburaage, natto

The list goes on and on...

Pick your favorite ingredient and make your original miso soup every day! If you like hearty soup like me, select 2 or 3 and make it a filling dish!

Where to buy Japanese ingredients

If your regular grocery store isn't stocking a full range of Japanese ingredients, try these spots:

Japanese grocery stores: Mitsuwa marketplace, Marukai
Local Asian grocery stores or Asian market
Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon

Japanese Miso Soup Recipes

Looking for delicious miso soup recipes? Check out these Miso Soup Recipes. I share 10 easy-to-follow miso soup recipes that you can make at home.

Miso soup is the most simple and easy dish in Japanese cooking. I hope you will enjoy the authentic flavor!

Thanks For Stopping By

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you've tried this recipe(or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

More Recipes You Might Like

FAQ

What is miso soup usually made of?

Miso soup is made from three basic components: Miso paste, dashi (soup stock), and Ingredients of your choice. The most common ingredients of choice are tofu, scallions, and wakame seaweed.

How often do Japanese eat miso soup?

Miso soup is a daily staple in Japan. It depends on the family, but I make it almost every day, and we eat it a couple of times a day.

Is miso soup actually good for you?

Miso paste, main ingredient of miso soup, contains amino acids and vitamins thanks to fermentation. Also, it contains beneficial bacteria that help creating a healthier digestive environment.

What is miso soup taste like?

A bowl of miso soup is flavorful, rich in umami, with hints of sweetness from the added vegetables such as onion and sweet potato.

Why is miso soup not vegan?

Because we usually use katsuobushi (bonito) dashi for miso soup. But you can easily make it vegan using kombu dashi.

📖 Recipe

8-Minute Tofu Miso Soup

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 3 minutes

Total: 8 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: JURI

How would you like to enjoy authentic Japanese tofu miso soup at home? It's cozy, healthy, and delicious. With just 10 minutes of your time, you can make this tasty soup!

Equipment

Medium saucepan 18cm/7 inches
Miso measuring whisk

Ingredients

Instructions

Preparation: Chop scallion, cut tofu into cubes.
Bring to a boil: Put the scallions, tofu, dashi powder, and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium heat.
Simmer: Lower the heat and simmer for one minute.
Add miso paste: Turn off the heat, add miso (use a miso measuring whisk if you have it), and stir gently until it dissolves.

Video

Notes

Storage: 3 days in the fridge.
If the taste of the soup is light to you, feel free to add more miso paste.
If you want to try making dashi from scratch, here are the recipes: vegan dashi (shiitake mushroom and kombu), awase dashi (bonito and kombu), niboshi dashi (dried sardine)
Always add miso paste after turning off the heat. If you boil the miso, you will lose the excellent flavor.
When adding the miso to your soup, stir gently (try not to break the tofu).

Nutrition

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: tofu miso soup

Did You Make this recipe?Please Leave a star rating!

About This Article

What is miso soup?