Miso Soup
A warm, soothing bowl of traditional Japanese soup with a deeply savory miso base, silky tofu cubes, and tender wakame seaweed. Ready in under 15 minutes, this everyday staple is light yet satisfying, perfect as a starter or alongside any Japanese meal.
For 4 servings
- prep · ~5 min
Soak the wakame and prep the tofu.
Place dried wakame in a bowl of cold water and soak for 5 minutes until rehydrated. Drain, squeeze gently, and set aside. Cut silken tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
- simmer · ~10 min
Make the dashi broth.
1.Add 4 cups of water and the kombu to a saucepan. Heat over medium until small bubbles appear at the edges — do not let it boil.2.Remove the kombu just before the water reaches a full boil.3.Add the katsuobushi all at once, bring to a gentle boil, then immediately turn off the heat.4.Let the flakes steep undisturbed for 2 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Discard the solids.TIPNever boil kombu — it releases bitterness. Keep the water just below a simmer. - simmer · ~2 min
Gently heat the dashi and add tofu and wakame.
Return the strained dashi to the saucepan and heat over medium-low until just below a simmer. Add the tofu cubes and rehydrated wakame. Warm through for 2 minutes without boiling.
TIPKeep the heat gentle — miso loses its aroma and probiotics if boiled. - mix · ~1 min
Dissolve the miso paste into the soup.
Place the miso paste in a ladle. Hold the ladle at the surface of the soup and use chopsticks or a spoon to slowly dissolve the miso into the broth until fully incorporated. Stir gently to distribute.
TIPAlways dissolve miso through a ladle — adding it directly can create clumps. - garnish
Finish with green onion and serve immediately.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Scatter sliced green onion over the top. Serve at once while hot.
What to keep in mind.
7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.
- 1Use a 4-inch piece of kombu for a balanced dashi — too much can make the broth slimy.
- 2Never let the dashi come to a boil with kombu inside; remove it as soon as bubbles appear.
- 3Steep katsuobushi for exactly 2 minutes — longer steeping makes the broth bitter.
- 4Add tofu and wakame to the hot dashi, then warm gently — boiling toughens tofu and shrivels seaweed.
- 5Dissolve miso through a ladle held at the broth surface to avoid clumps and preserve flavor.
- 6Serve miso soup immediately — it loses its delicate aroma and texture if reheated.
- 7For a richer broth, use a mix of white and red miso paste.
Adapt it for your goals.
Vegan
Replace katsuobushi with dried shiitake mushrooms (soak 2-3 pieces in the dashi water with kombu) to create a fully plant-based, deeply savory broth without bonito flakes.
high proteinHigh-protein
Double the silken tofu to 400g or add a handful of edamame for an extra protein boost, making the soup more substantial as a light meal.
mushroom loversMushroom-lovers
Add thinly sliced fresh shiitake or enoki mushrooms along with the tofu for earthy texture and deeper umami.
Why this is on our healthy list.
Fermented Gut Health
White miso is a fermented soybean paste rich in probiotics that support a healthy gut microbiome when not boiled.
Rich in Seaweed Minerals
Kombu and wakame provide iodine, calcium, and iron from natural sea vegetables, supporting thyroid and bone health.
Low-Calorie Comfort
With only about 40-60 calories per serving from tofu and broth, this soup offers a warm, satisfying bowl without excess calories.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, red miso gives a bolder, saltier flavor and darker color; start with 2 tbsp as it's stronger than white miso.
