Miso Soup
Ingredients
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- 4 cups water
- 1/2 ounces kombu (dried kelp) – wiped
- 3/4 ounces katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
- 7 ounces soft tofu – cut into 0.5-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon dried wakame
- 3 tablespoons miso paste (white or mixed/awase)
- green onion – thinly sliced (for serving)
Instructions
1. Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth to remove any surface salt. Combine the water and kombu in a medium saucepan and heat over medium until small bubbles begin forming around the edges, 8–10 minutes; do not boil.
2. Just before boiling, remove the kombu. Bring the liquid to a bare simmer, add the katsuobushi, turn off the heat, and let steep until the flakes sink, 5–7 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (line with paper towel or cheesecloth for clearer dashi), then return the dashi to the pot.
3. Set the pot over low heat and add the tofu and dried wakame. Warm gently until the wakame has unfurled and the tofu is heated through, 1–2 minutes; do not boil.
4. Turn off the heat. Put the miso paste in a ladle, add a little hot dashi to the ladle, and whisk to loosen. Slide the dissolved miso into the pot and stir gently to combine, keeping the soup below a simmer.
5. Ladle into bowls and top with green onion. Serve immediately while hot.
Miso soup is a cornerstone of Japanese home cooking, known for its comforting balance of savory dashi and mellow, fermented miso. The broth is light yet deeply umami, carrying soft cubes of tofu and tender wakame seaweed. A sprinkle of fresh green onion adds a clean, oniony brightness that lifts each sip.
Rooted in everyday meals, miso soup appears at breakfast as often as dinner, typically alongside rice and pickles in the traditional ichiju-sansai meal pattern. Its core identity rests on dashi—often made from kombu kelp and katsuobushi bonito flakes—enriched with regional miso styles that range from sweet, pale shiro to robust, aged aka. Endless variations exist, but the essential technique of dissolving miso off heat and avoiding a boil preserves the soup’s aroma and delicate character.