Miso Soup is the original health food, it’s an easy, umami rich soup recipe made with fermented bean paste that has been nourishing the Japanese for centuries ~ and you can make this delicious vegan soup for yourself in just minutes!
What is miso soup?
Miso is an ancient Japanese seasoning paste made from fermented soybeans (and sometimes rice or barley.) It’s got that salty, umami flavor that distinguishes so many Japanese dishes like this classic miso soup.
3 major types of miso
Miso comes in many varieties, each having a unique flavor, aroma, color, and texture; here are the main categories you’re likely to see in your grocery store ~
- white or shiro miso is the mildest. It’s made with fermented soy beans and rice and the color is pale yellow.
- yellow or shinshu misohas a mild flavor that is stronger than white but mellower than red miso, and is mostly made with fermented soy beans and barley. The color is light brown.
- red or aka miso is the strongest flavored of all, also mostly made from fermented rice and barley, and is darker in color.
Japanese soup is one of the healthiest foods you can eat
It’s also one of the easiest meals to prepare. Miso soup was one of the first things I cooked for myself when I was in college. It’s a staple in Japan, and you’ve probably had it in Japanese restaurants. The soup is basically a thin miso infused broth, and when you get it in restaurants it usually has very little in it, maybe a slice or two of scallion floating around. But it can also made heartier with tofu, mushrooms, seaweed, green onions, and potatoes, among other things.
Where to find Miso paste
Miso is sold fresh, and most large grocery store chains carry it nowadays. Look for it in the refrigerated section, usually near the wonton wrappers, tofu, etc.
Miso is a biologically active, living food, like yogurt.
Cooking destroys some of its beneficial bacteria and can change the flavor.
When you cook with miso you’ll usually add it at the very end, once the pot is taken off the heat, so you don’t destroy the nutrients.
Use a variety of mushrooms in this soup
Making miso soup gives you the perfect excuse to experiment with some of the exotic, loose mushroom varieties you always pass by when you’re doing your grocery shopping. Their delicate flavor will take center stage in such a simple dish, and you don’t need to buy many, so the cost won’t be prohibitive. I bought baby button sh*take and a variety called Beech mushrooms: tiny little brown or white mushrooms come clustered on one large stem or stalk. You’ll find them in plastic packaging in the mushroom section.
What to eat with miso soup
- Miso soup is a complete meal in itself, especially when you add protein rich tofu. But we love to pair our soup with a big bowl of steaming hot edamame (soy) beans showered in sea salt.
Miso is a healthy instant soup!
- Miso soup can be made as quickly as any instant soup, but is so much healthier for you.
- It’s a perfect soothing hydrator when you have a cold or flu, and so much quicker and easier to make than chicken soup.
- In Japan it’s believed to have powerful health giving properties (including fighting the Big C.)
I’ve been cooking with miso since I was in college and I love it. You can find lots more miso inspiration on the blog, just search Miso. And if you’re intrigued and want to learn more, see my How To Use Miso post, it has lots of useful info and serving suggestions.
Other recipes using miso paste ~
- Miso Alphabet Soup
- Miso Broth with Shrimp Dumplings
- Miso Ramen with sh*take and Chicken
- Spring Vegetable Salad with Miso Dressing
Reader Rave ~
“Very easy and the best miso soup I’ve ever had. I added a little bit of crispy onions when I served it (similar to what happens at Japanese Hibachi restaurants). I can’t wait to make it again.” ~Mary
Miso Soup
Miso Soup is the original health food, it's an easy, umami rich soup recipe made with fermented bean paste that has been nourishing the Japanese for centuries ~ and you can make this delicious super food soup for yourself in just minutes!
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Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
Total Time:10 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 6 cups water (you can also use part vegetable or chicken stock if you like)
- 4 Tbsp Miso paste
- 1 cup firm tofu, cut in small cubes (use more if you like)
- 2 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced
- 4 or 5 scallions, sliced thin (use all of the white and a little of the green)
Instructions
Heat the stock and water to a simmer and add the mushrooms and tofu. Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the mushrooms.
When you're ready to serve, add the scallions and take the pan off the heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the miso with 1/4 cup of the hot broth to form a paste. Stir it back into the broth, and serve.
Notes
- Use yellow or white miso for a milder flavor...this is perfect if you are new to miso, or cooking for kids.
- Use any type of stock you like in place of the water.
- Add any thinly sliced veggies you like, including bok choy, carrots, or broccoli. Just be sure to simmer the vegetables until tender before you add the miso.
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: fermented, healthy, Japanese, miso, soup
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup · Calories: 67 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 6 g · Fat: 3 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 427 mg · Potassium: 148 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 90 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 64 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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FAQs
Miso soup is deceptively simple. It contains just a handful of ingredients: fermented bean paste (a.k.a. miso), vegetables, and hot water or stock. Heck, you don't even have to use tofu (although if you do, make sure it's the right kind; more on that in a moment).
What is the secret ingredient in miso paste? ›
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, is a culinary staple in Japan, says Sonoko Sakai, chef, cooking teacher, and author of Japanese Home Cooking. It's made using just four ingredients: cooked soybeans, grains (typically rice), salt, and koji mold, a type of fungus scientifically known as Aspergillus oryzae.
What can I add to miso soup to make it taste better? ›
Instant miso soup is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables. Simply chop up some of your favorite veggies and add them to the soup. Popular vegetables include mushrooms, green onions thinly sliced, spinach, tofu, bean curd, wakame seaweed, nori seaweed, onions, daikon radish, and carrots.
What is miso soup made of? ›
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup that starts with a dashi stock and is flavored with miso paste. Dashi is an umami-rich stock made from dried seaweed and dried fish. Miso paste, meanwhile, is a paste made from soybeans, salt, and koji rice. The brothy soup usually contains tofu and green onions.
How much miso paste for 1 cup of water? ›
A general rule of thumb is to use about 1 tablespoon per cup (U.S. measure, 236.5ml) or 1/4 l (250ml) but if you have a very salty red miso for example, you may need less. So when you are trying out a new miso, always add less than you think you need.
Can I just put miso paste in hot water? ›
*STIR MISO to preserve the beneficial bacteria – stir the miso paste into your cup of hot water instead of pouring boiling water over the miso as high heat can destroy the healthful bacteria; this simple technique will help ensure you get maximum “nu*tritional bang for your bite.” MISO is fermented soybean paste.
What are the 2 main ingredients in miso? ›
At its most basic, miso is a fermented paste that's made by inoculating a mixture of soybeans with a mold called koji (for you science folks, that's the common name for Aspergillus oryzae) that's been cultivated from rice, barley, or soybeans.
What is a substitute for miso paste in soup? ›
Soy Sauce/ Aminos
Soy sauce is the most common substitute for miso paste. Miso is thick and creamy, whereas soy sauce is thin like water, but if texture isn't a factor, they are both made of soy and chock full of salty and savory notes.
What is a good substitute for miso? ›
Tamari/Coconut Aminos
Both are salty and contain plenty of the same free-forming amino acids (which create that umami flavor) found in miso. For an easy miso substitute, blend a few tablespoons of either tamari or coconut aminos with a can of cooked chickpeas. If desired, season with additional sea salt.
What settles at the bottom of miso soup? ›
What is in Miso Soup? Miso soup's base is a broth called dashi that is made from strips of dried kelp (kombu) and dried smoked bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Miso, a salty fermented soybean paste, provides that savoriness called umami as it's whisked into the broth, giving it a cloudy appearance that settles as it sits.
Is miso soup made from fish? In most cases, yes. Fish is integral to the Japanese broth known as dashi, the second main ingredient in most miso soup. Dashi usually contains a mix of dried fish (baby sardines and smoked bonito), dried shiitake mushrooms, and dried kelp.
What is dashi made of? ›
Dashi most commonly utilizes a combination of kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), but other ingredients used to make dashi are shiitake mushrooms and niboshi (small dried fish). Dashi making has evolved over a long period of time.
What is the brown stuff in miso soup? ›
Another brown seaweed used in Miso soup
In Japan, we make the stock for the miso soup using kombu (kelp), which is another type of brown seaweed. By using two types of brown seaweed, it helps to prevent high blood pressure even more!
Is miso soup actually good for you? ›
Rich in nutrients: Miso contains many healthy vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, manganese, zinc, protein and calcium. Many of these nutrients support essential structures like the bones and nervous system. Improves digestion: Because miso is high in probiotics, it helps the body maintain healthy bacteria levels.
What is the white stuff in miso soup? ›
This simple miso soup recipe calls for silken tofu, scallions, and shiro miso (sometimes called sweet or white miso paste), which is made with both soybeans and rice, and offers a somewhat milder flavor than other types of miso, such as aka (red miso paste) or hatcho (a very dark, robust variety made exclusively with ...
Is miso paste the same as miso soup? ›
Miso paste is a dense, moist form of ground up and fermented soy beans mixed with sea salt. The only big secret to transforming the paste into soup is a process called “tempering”. This involves adding small amounts of liquid—usually a fish or poultry stock—to the paste and gradually working it into a thin gravy.
Is miso soup made from miso paste? ›
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made primarily of miso paste, dashi (broth), and additional ingredients such as vegetables, seaweed, and tofu.
Is miso broth the same as miso paste? ›
Traditionally in Japan, miso soup is made by adding miso paste to dashi stock. Dashi is made from kelp called Konbu and Katsuobushi, dried fish flakes. There is powdered dashi you can add water to make a quick Dashi. If buying miso paste and making dashi or powdered dashi is too much, there is so-called Miso Broth.
Is miso paste the same as miso? ›
Miso is occasionally marketed as miso paste. In Japanese, miso is みそ or 味噌. Other words are added to the word miso to indicate the type or variety. It should not be confused with any of the other soybean-based pastes found in Asia, including doenjang (Korean), huang doujiang (Chinese), or doubanjiang (Chinese).
