Savory and umami flavored traditional Japanese miso soup is great to go with tonkatsu, beef gyudon, rice, chicken curry, udon stir fry, teriyaki chicken rice bowl, pan fried gyoza, crispy tofu or sushi. Also, this simple homemade miso soup recipe only takes 15 minutes! Let's learn how to make the best vegan style homemade miso soup with step by step photos and a video.
Love soups? Check out these HK borscht soup, kimchi tofu soup, hot and sour soup, chicken gnocchi, wonton soup, gobo root soup, lotus root soup and sweet corn carrot pork soup recipes.
What is miso soup?
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from a paste called miso. It is produced by fermenting soybeans with a fungus called koji with salt, rice or barley. Miso paste is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is used in a variety of dishes. Besides, miso soup is one of the most well known soups.
Typically, miso soup uses miso paste with a soup stock known as dashi. Dashi is made from ingredients like dried kelp (kombu) and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). The combination of miso paste and dashi creates a savory and umami flavored base for the soup.
Then, the common ingredients added into miso soup are silken tofu, wakame (dried seaweed) and sliced green onion. The silken tofu provides a creamy texture and protein. Also, wakame (dried seaweed) adds a touch of saltiness and a slightly chewy texture. Some even like to add daikon radish as well.
Miso soup is typically served as a side dish with a traditional Japanese meal or as a starter. It is a comforting and umami rich flavor soup as well as its nutritional value. In addition, it is a versatile dish because it can use different types of miso paste or add additional ingredients based on personal preference or regional variations.
What is dashi?
Dashi is a traditional Japanese soup stock for many Japanese dishes such as miso soup, noodle soups and simmered dishes. It is a flavorful and savory broth that provides the umami taste of Japanese cuisine.
Dashi is typically made by simmering dried kelp (kombu) and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), thin shavings of fermented and smoked skipjack tuna, to extract their flavors. Kombu is a type of seaweed that contains natural glutamates and it contributes to the rich umami taste. Also, bonito flakes add a distinct smoky and fishy flavor to the dashi.
Can I use dashi powder for the broth?
Yes, sure you can use dashi powder like Hondashi instead of making your own dashi. It is easier and faster. Also, the soup still tastes amazingly good and full of umami flavors. Besides, I use Hondashi to make the sauce or broth for tteokbokki, Korean spicy rice cake.
Different types of miso paste:
There are several different types of miso paste that can be used in miso soup. Each one has its own flavor, color and intensity. The choice of miso paste for miso soup depends on personal preference and the desired flavor.
White miso (Shiro miso) is made from fermented soybeans and rice or barley. It has a mild and slightly sweet flavor and a lighter color compared to other types of miso. Therefore, white miso paste is well suited for delicate and lighter miso soups.
On the other hand, red miso (Aka miso) is made from fermented soybeans and a higher proportion of barley or rice. It has a stronger, more robust flavor and a deeper reddish brown color. Red miso paste adds a hearty and rich taste to miso soup. And, it pairs well with stronger ingredients like mushrooms or daikon radish.
Awase miso (Mixed miso) is a blend of different types of miso paste. Typically, it is a combination of red and white miso. It offers a balanced flavor, milder sweetness of white miso and the deeper umami of red miso. The mixed miso paste provides a versatile option for miso soup that is suitable for a range of ingredients. Personally, I like to use white miso paste or Awase miso paste for miso soup.
Is miso soup vegan?
In this homemade miso soup recipe, it is vegan because the miso soup is made without dashi. The broth or soup is simply water and miso paste. Miso paste itself is typically made from fermented soybeans, salt and koji (a type of fungus), they are plant based ingredients. If you use dashi or Hondashi powder, it will not be a vegan soup.
Can I add soy sauce in the miso soup?
Miso soup already contains soy based miso paste, it is already flavorful. However, some people like to add a small amount of soy sauce to enhance the flavor. My American Japanese father-in-law and husband like to add soy sauce into miso soup. Personally, I think the miso paste has a great flavor and no need to add extra saltiness. It is all up to personal preference and taste.
What are the ingredients in miso soup?
Typically, the ingredients are dashi (Japanese soup stock), miso paste, tofu, wakame (dried seaweed) and green onions. In this homemade miso soup recipe, the miso soup is without dashi. Therefore, l used miso paste, water, seaweed, tofu and green onion to make the soup.
Cooking tips for how to make homemade miso soup:
- Soak and wash dried seaweed. It will swell up and double in size. So don’t need a lot and a small pinch is enough.
- Soak the dried seaweed for a few minutes around 3-5 minutes.
- Chop the soaked dried seaweed into small chunks or pieces.
- I like to use soft tofu because it's smooth & soft.
- Cut the soft tofu into smaller cubes.
- Wait until the water is boiling. Turn off the heat then mix the miso paste with water very well.
- Add soft tofu last and slightly mix them because soft tofu will break easily.
- Remember to add salt to your taste. If you think it is not salty enough, add some salt. Or, add more water if you think it is too salty for you.
FAQs:
I like to get this type of wakame dried seaweed that is thin. When you soak them, they swell up.
If you refrigerate them, it can last for a few days.
Miso soup becomes cloudy due to the presence of miso particles suspended in the broth. The cloudiness is a result of the miso paste. When the soup is too hot, it may make it more challenging for the miso paste to dissolve fully. Therefore, generally it is recommended to remove the soup from direct heat before adding the miso paste and stirring it in gently.
In this homemade miso soup recipe, I mainly use vegan materials like tofu and seaweed, so the calories are low and only 34 calories per serving.
Instructions for how to make homemade miso soup:
1. First, soak ½ cup of dried seaweed in a bowl for a few minutes around 3-5 minutes.
2. Then, chop 2 sticks of green onion.
3. After that, cut ½ block of soft tofu (9 oz) into small cubes.
4. Next, cut the soaked seaweed from step 1 into pieces.
5. After that, pour 3 cups of water into a pot. Then, add chopped seaweed. Let them boil a little bit, turn off the heat and add miso paste. Mix the miso paste very well and make sure they all mix with water.
6. Then, add soft tofu and green onion. Slightly mix them well.
Enjoy this traditional Japanese homemade miso soup recipe! Also, check out these Korean glass noodles, wonton soup, mapo tofu, black sesame soup, red bean mochi and tofu pudding recipes.
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Miso Soup
Video
Ingredients
- ½ block Tofu Soft tofu (9 oz)
- ½ cup Dried seaweed (around ½ cup)
- 2 sticks Green onion
- 4 tablespoons Japanese miso paste
- 3 cups Water
Instructions
- Soak ½ cup of dried seaweed in a bowl for a few minutes around 3-5 minutes.
- Then, chop 2 sticks of green onion.
- After that, cut ½ block of soft tofu (9 oz) into small cubes.
- Next, cut the soaked seaweed from step 1 into pieces.
- After that, pour 3 cups of water into a pot. Then, add chopped seaweed. Let them boil a little bit, turn off the heat and add miso paste. Mix the miso paste very well and make sure they all mix with water.
- Then, add soft tofu and green onion. Slightly mix them well.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make miso soup:
- Soak and wash dried seaweed. It will swell up and double the size. So don’t need a lot and a small pinch is enough.
- Soak the dried seaweed for a few minutes around 3-5 minutes.
- Chop the soaked dries seaweed into small chunks or pieces.
- I like to use soft tofu because it's smooth & soft.
- Cut the soft tofu into smaller cubes.
- Wait until water is boil. Turn off fire then mix the miso paste with water very well
- Add soft tofu last and slightly mix them because soft tofu will break easily.
- Remember to add salt to your taste. If you think it is not salty enough, add some salt. Or, add more water if you think it is too salty for you.
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