Miso Soup

Really great miso soup! We had enjoyed a delicious miso soup at a Sushi restaurant in Cleveland,OH and I was trying to come close to that. We actually thought this one was better. I used a red miso paste, firm tofu, green onions, and 4 thinly sliced Shitake mushrooms. Will be making this often... Oh, I bought the miso paste and dashi from Asiangrocer.com since our small town grocery stores don't carry these items.

I suggest using firm tofu (it is easier to handle) and letting it drain first. Cut it in half and let it sit on some paper towels for a bit before you use it. This allows the tofu to better absorb the flavor of the broth.

This recipe can be easily adapted to whatever's in season, or in the fridge. If you're a potato lover, a simple but very comforting potato version - in the quantity of dashi given here simmer thinly sliced wedges of potato (approximatly 2 medium potatoes, sliced 3 mm thick or so) and sliced onion (one small onion, cut in half vertically, and then into thin slices, again vertically). Simmer until tender, and then add miso just before turning off heat. Carrot, daikon, long onion (negi), spinach (add a minute or so before adding the miso) are other winter possiblities - add in any combination you prefer. I often add thinly sliced deep-fried tofu (abura-age in Japanese) to my winter miso soup - a common staple here in Japan, but perhaps not so readily available elsewhere.

This was a big hit! I could not find dashi anywhere, so substituted fish bouillon. I added fresh spinach and prawns before the tofu to make it a meal.

I have a Japanese neighbor and she stated that you cannot just wisk in the miso, you need to put the miso in a very fine strainer, put the strainer half way in the water and press miso thru with a spoon. Miso has some left over bits and pieces that for some reason does not ever melt. This is supposed to be disposed of. The second time I did as my neighbor stated and it turned out better. She also gave me some bamboo roots to put in it. I also added tofu.

I have a Japanese neighbor and she stated that you cannot just wisk in the miso, you need to put the miso in a very fine strainer, put the strainer half way in the water and press miso thru with a spoon. Miso has some left over bits and pieces that for some reason does not ever melt. This is supposed to be disposed of. The second time I did as my neighbor stated and it turned out better. She also gave me some bamboo roots to put in it. I also added tofu.

I grew up eating miso soup made various ways. This is a good basic miso soup. I always use Shiro Miso, which is a white miso (less salty) than the Aka Miso, red miso paste. Some people also like to mix both for more bolder flavor. To whisk in the miso paste, I normally hold two spoons, with the miso paste in the first spoon and using the other spoon to mash the paste into the water. The dashi I use has no MSG and since I was only serving two people I scaled this amonunt down quite a bit. I don't use silken tofu but medium firm which is a personal choice. I garnished the soup with thinly minced green onions (see my picture). Miso soup doesn't take me too long to make. There are so many vegetables you can add in miso soup such as shiitake mushroom, daikon, other mushrooms, leafy greens, etc. This was a warm and satisfying soup that paired perfectly with, "Japanese Deep Fried Shrimp," "Japanese Shrimp Sauce I," "Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans,"and "Cucumber Sunomono," all from this website. I drank every last drop of miso soup!

This had a nice taste but the silken tofu I used was too soft. I suggest a firm tofu. I also used a dashi that was MSG free. I think that is why it needed some salt for me. A really easy and quick recipe.

I studied in Japan as a college student, and this is pretty much how I learned to make miso soup from friends in Japan. Just a few notes: Miso: I was taught to mix the miso in a small bowl with a bit of the broth to dissolve it before adding it to the pot. Otherwise it's harder to incorporate it into the soup. If your miso has chunks that won't dissolve, you can put this small bowlful through a sieve before adding to the pot. Tofu: Generally, softer tofu is used for soups and hard tofu is for dishes like stir fry where it will be stirred or moved around a lot. That's why the recipe calls for what it does. But get what you like. Seaweed: While you're at the Asian grocery store picking up your miso and dashi, grab some wakame seaweed. You just have to reconstitute it by putting a small amount in a bowl of water while you're making the rest of the soup. When the soup is ready, the wakame should be, too. Chop into 2-3" pieces if desired - some bits of wakame may be quite large. Put it into the soup and serve.

Easy recipe. Broth was excellent. I'd use firm tofu next time, as that's what I've always had at the restaurants and the silken's texture made me cringe.

this is a great soup! we love japanese food but found most of the recipes are hard to follow. this is simple and taste just like the one you get in the restaurant. thanks.

Tastes identical to miso soup you would buy at a restaurant. The measurements are just right! We love miso soup, but I have had a hard time getting the ingredients until now!

This is a go-to miso soup recipe Dashi granules make such a difference, it's worth ordering online from Amazon or somewhere if they're not found locally. Also, use unpasteurized miso paste (it's found in the refrigerated section) -- not that stuff called miso in the asian aisle next to the soy sauces! Not many stores carry it; Whole Foods does if you're lucky enough to have one close by. Again, this is so worth ordering online if you can't get it locally - superior taste plus health benefits! Miso Master and South River Miso are my top picks, and I like yellow or white the best, because they're less salty.

I would have given this more stars if it had seaweed in the recipe, and if it had more miso. We added the amount listed but it was bland. Next time we will put in more miso and it should be fine. We did add seaweed- just be sure you soak dried seaweed in water before you add it, or it will suck up all the water from your soup. Thank you for the recipe though, we will try it again.

Great recipe! I make this soup all the time. My only addition to it would be one sheet of nori (dried seaweed) cut into pieces gives it a great flavor. You also can add one beaten raw egg to make it an egg drop soup!

I just made this and it is not only super easy to make but super yummy. The only thing was I couldn't find dashi but I did find bonita and I combined it with kombu and I thought it was just as good. I can't wait to make it again and add other vegetables to it.

Such a flavorful soup! I use wakame (dried sea grass) for added texture, flavor and color -- but be careful! It adds a bit of saltiness. You do not want to overboil your miso for risk of losing its flavor, but you want your wakemake to be softened in very hot broth.

This tasted EXACTLY like our favorite Sushi restaurant's. I went to an Asian market and the manager told me to boil the dashi and water then reduce to barely simmering and add the miso then serve. She said to never boil the miso. She also said it’s OK to freeze the miso. It comes in a huge container. Very inexpensive and yummy soup!

The recipe is wrong - no way does it take 20 minutes. It was much faster. Tasted much better than restaurents - mine wasn't watered down. Great recipe and I can see added more things like shrimp, ginger etc. Thanks for the recipe

The only change I would make to this would be to make more broth (double to 8 cups) and reduce the tofu (we used 4 oz and it was still a lot for the 4 cups of broth). However, the taste was great & it was simple to make. We used a white miso paste for a mild taste. We also added carrot strips also when we added the green onion, and have had this with mushrooms in it as well.

Great recipe for a 1st timer. I found it easier to place the miso paste into a separate cup and place a half a cup of the hot dashi broth into the cup, mush and disolve the paste in the cup, and then pour that into the soup. Less paste chunks to find that way :)

This is terrific. Just like in a Japanese restaurant. The only thing I did differently was to make the dashi broth from scratch using a recipe I found on-line. Here it is for those of you who want it: 1 piece kelp (konbu or kombu), approximately 5 square inches (12 centimeters) or 10-12 grams, 1 cup bonito (katsuobushi) flakes, 5 cups cold water Wipe konbu with a damp cloth to clean. In a stock pot, place konbu and cold water over medium heat. Just before the water begins to boil (do not boil) pull off heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove konbu, and bring back to heat. Again, right before stock begins to boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes. When flakes sink to the bottom, strain through fine mesh strainer. It can hold in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Thanks for the recipe!

Divine. Simple, tasty, so very easy. We found everything we needed at the local Japanese grocery store (but any ethic grocer would have it). As written, it's perfect, so try it first using this recipe to a T. Then, with that base, you can add seaweed, fresh minced ginger, etc.

So delicious and easy! The first time I made this, I couldn't find dashi anywhere so I subbed in chicken stock. The soup came out good, but I was finally able to find dashi granules at the Asian market, and it made ALL the difference.

Easy, healthy, delicious and affordable. Even my 2 year old loves it. What more could I ask for? The store brand dashi granules I buy from the local Japanese market are premeasured in 2 tsp packets and the tofu brand I use, Mori-nu, doesn't need to be refrigerated before opening so I can buy and store it ahead of time- making it even more simple. The perfect soup for a cold day!

This was so close to what I wanted it to be! I made a few small changes, and next time I will make a few more. The changes: rather than using granules, I made dashi from scratch using the Konbu Dashi recipe from this site. Next time, I will use firm tofu. That's what I usually buy and I find the silken to have an unpleasant texture. To sum up, use broth from scratch and firm tofu and you will be amazed at how easy and delicious this was. I used white miso.

Excellent! I added some sliced mushrooms and it was even better. Great recipe to play around with.

Great miso soup recipe. My wife loves miso soup and prefers this recipe to most we find at restaurants. I follow the recipe but I also add some wakame sea vegetable we bought from Amazon.

I made this with kelp, which when cooked a bit becomes soft, I also added a tbsp each of fresh ginger and garlic, which I minced. Altogether it makes a very nutritious (and hopefully cold fighting) soup.

For both taste and easy preparation, this gets 5 stars! I like my broth a little stronger, so I added a couple of extra tablespoons of the yellow miso in mine. Delicious!

as new vegans we have miso soup at least 4x a week. i omit the dashi though. for variety we also will add spinach right before serving. or boil kale in the miso b4 adding the tofu. recently we started adding cooked rice or udon noodles to make it a heart

Perfect, simple, resteraunt quality, delicious. This miso is easy to make, tastes GREAT, and next time I will add a little seaweed to make it JUST the way I like. Smiles & 5 stars all the way!

We just got back form a vacation in Tokyo and have been craving real Miso Soup. This was the perfect recipe- eay and tasted just like what we got in Japan! I did use firm tofu and added a few strips of seaweed. The dashi is what makes this a traditional soup and can be found in any Japanese market in most big cities.

I wasn't able to find dashi at any of my local grocery stores so I substituted chicken broth; I used a white miso and I also added thin rice noodles, shrimp, mushrooms, tofu sqares, and green onion. I really enjoyed the lightness of the soup and that it was also filling as a meal. I will make again. I only gave this 4 stars because I feel like the soup base was missing something and I'm pretty sure it was the dashi- so I'll be in search of it online to try again.

Awesome recipe. Tastes just like from a restaurant, and super easy to make. My husband asked for it for breakfast today!

Great base - I didn't have dashi so I used vegetable bouillon and the ratios were great.

Really good and authentic tasting! I used red miso paste for a strong, but salty flavor. I still prefer the restaurant soup, but maybe I prefer the white or yellow paste? Still delicious!

I used white miso. Also added a generous amount of sliced mushrooms and doubled the green onions. I used firm tofu and prefer it diced very small to avoid a 'texture issue' for my husband. Great recipe!

Delicious and super-easy! I used firm tofu and added some seaweed like some of the other reviewers suggested but I'm sure it would be fine either way.

loved this!

made exactly how written, except I added some finely chopped mushrooms for more substance and it was delicious! Will make this more in the future! Thank you

Look no further! This is the delicious miso soup you get at Japanese restaurants :) If not better! Unfortunately for me I didn't have any green onions on hand (that weren't rotting anyway...) but it was still super delicious. It's all in the broth. Mmmm

WOW!!! I followed other suggestions and added a bunch of kale and mushrooms by sauteeing with olive oil and garlic first then adding the water and the dashi granules. This was so filling and delicious. During my quest to get the ingredients I almost bailed and just got instant Miso while at the Asian Market. I'm sooo glad I went homemade. It's a huge difference between instant and homemade. Yum..Yum..Yum.

Wow. This miso soup was perfect. Tasted exactly right. I also added some sliced mushrooms. Only thing I will do differently next time is get a slightly harder tofu. This soft tofu was a little too soft. Other than that, it was delicious!

This was so good, tastes like the Japanese restaurants to me (with more tofu, but at 99cents a package tofu is good). I found miso paste at the oriental market and the dashi at Ralphs, though it was labeled as hon dashi.

Perfect! Just like the miso soup you get at Japanese restaurants - even my picky husband liked it. I don't know about the dashi granules, but I had bonito broth granules, which I used instead. I used white miso paste. This is a keeper!

I'm eating it right now . . . YUM! Tastes just like what I eat in sushi restaurants and from start to finish it was about 5 minutes!! I used shiro paste (cuz that's what I had on hand) and no tofu (I didn't have any). I used a tablespoon of the dashi seasoning, which gave it a very strong flavour (which I love, but may sketch others out . . . ). We added cilantro (because I feel it goes great in everything :P). SO going to make this again - thanks for a great and very easy recipe!

This recipe captured the flavor of the miso soups I've had in restaurants. I gave my 6-year-old some and after he tried the tofu he asked me why I put erasers in the soup! hehe

I frequently make Miso soup and found this to be the perfect amount of miso and dashi. I did add two nori seaweed sheets torn into squares. Great additions would also be sweet potatoes or straw mushrooms.

Perfect!! It tastes just like it does in the restaurant. I used silken tofu as recommended by another user. I also added sea weed since it is always in the restaurant versions here in the NYC area. I also added shrimp to up the protein and poured it over pho noodles to make it more filling and served it as a main dish. My miso loving kids ate it all up and asked me to make it again and again.

Great base recipe but you need to find the right ingredients. I ended up getting the dashi on-line thru Amazon (Ajinomoto brand hondashi soup granules). The box will probably last me 3 years! Found white miso in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods. Once you've got those two things, it is so flexible, you can go in many directions with add-ins. One of my favorite things to add is an ounce or so of Japanese soba noodles & let them cook in the simmering miso broth. Like some others have said, the soup is good with a side of sunomono (cucumber salad).

I love miso soup but always wished that they gave larger size tofu pieces in the miso soups I've purchased in restaurants/stores. Now I can control the size of tofu I like in my miso soup, yay! Btw, I used firm tofu. I added spinach to my soup and it was yummy. Tasted just like the miso soup you get at restaurants. This really is a versatile recipe and I plan on trying different ingredients next time. My 3 yr old gobbled this up and left me with just a small bowl to bring to work the next day for lunch, lol! I will be doubling this recipe in the future! Thanks for the great recipe :)

My children love this soup. Sometimes I add snow peas and mushrooms.

This is a great recipe. My mother's miso soup is not this good (don't tell her I said that!) and she has a complicated recipe using bonito to make dashi broth, etc. This was so easy, and tastes like miso soup from a Japanese restaurant. The fish stock granules can be found in most Asian markets, sometimes it is referred to as 'Hon Dashi'.

This was awesome. So easy and delicious. I made it exactly the way the recipe called for. I think it's a great midday snack when you are trying to eat healthy, but with the addition of tofu it is very filling.

Great as always! I didn't have dashi and my miso soup paste was a little on the spicy side due to what I picked up at the 99 Ranch market. I used a tiny bit of honey (we don't have sugar or oyster sauce currently) and soysauce in the process to substitute for a missing sweet and salty taste.

Awesome basic recipe! My favourite thing to add to this is enoki mushrooms. Fresh are better, but harder to find so canned works as well.

I loved it, but my fiance said it had too much salt (miso paste). I usually have to eat more salt than most people because I have low blood pressure so I trust that it would have been too salty for most. Other than that it had a great flavor.

Great recipe. I added a little ginger to the water during boiling. It gave it a little more kick.

This is WONDERFUL!!! If you are having trouble finding miso soup try a heath/natural food store. That is where I buy mine.

Loved this soup. The only thing I did differant was that I made my own dashi base from scratch instead of using the granules.

My family loves miso soup. We're lucky enough to have a great Asian grocery very nearby, so I buy red miso paste - dashi type, to combine the dashi stock and miso in one step. Also, for us, miso soup isn't complete with seaweed. Look for dried wakame and add only a pinch or two.

A great base recipe, the dashi really helps the flavor. They have vegetarian versions of dashi too! I loaded the soup with fresh mushrooms and a little broccoli too to make it a main dish.

This tasted exactly like the miso soups I have eaten in restaurants and it was very simple to prepare. I will make this again if I can ever get back to the market where I found yellow miso paste and dashi granules.

not a huge fan but I used bottled miso bc i couldn't find some of the other ingredients so it was probably my error not the recipes.

Loved it I am in Esthetician school and my teacher had never had miso. So I used this recipe. It was yummy. I added shrimp, green onions, mushrooms, and shredded carrots

Delicious. I used white miso paste.

Wow, this taste just like at the restaurant! I've tried to make miso soup without dashi before but I was always disappointed. Now that I found dashi granules in china town, I'm really excited! It's so easy and fast to do the recipe! I can't wait to try different ingredients in it! I did strain the miso in a strainer has suggested by others and the broth is clearer. I added thinly shredded carrots and use tofu noodles and it was fantastic. Can't wait to try with straw mushrooms! Delicious! My husband who usually does not like miso soup liked it a lot!

This was so great and easy to make. It took me a second though to find some of the items but got home and bam done! loved it.

I have to say 1st hand---I had never eated tofu before this recipe. I was soo worried about eating it, I cubed it into totally small dime size pieces. And it really wasn't bad at all. I also never used dashi granules or miso paste either. This was relatively easy and simple. The flavor was mild and nothing I've ever eaten before. I was very nervous about the miso paste as well because there was a couple of different types with HEAT. So I got the mildest I think the store sold. I'm totally impressed with this and I will make enough for my kids to try as well.I did put some dried kelp in this but it sank to the bottom of the dish and I couldn't get a clear photo of it. I loved kelp and I only put in a few pieces. I think it added to the flavor a little bit. But I'm so going to make this again and try tofu in other ways. Thanks.

I made this exactly as directed, apart from the dashi granules, I made my own dashi. My husband said it was better than at our local Japanese restaurant, I think it tasted the same. It was delicious!

I made this last night and it was great! Just like at the restaurants. I also added some kale to it and let it simmer a little bit longer to wilt the kale, and it turned out very well. Thanks!

Wow, who knew it was so easy to make miso soup? I'm sure this will become a staple at my house.

I made several times, and I think it is too salty but otherwise fantastic flavor. I reduced the dashi to 1 or 1.5 tspoons

I give it three because you really need to make your own dashi. The granules are loaded with MSG. As we all know fresh is better!

This is delicious! My husband's mother is Japanese and I am always trying to cook him traditional Japanese food. I actually added cooked somen noodles to this soup like they do at a local Hawaiian restaurant we like to eat at. Yum yum!

Excellent! Super easy to make. I used a mellow white miso, soft tofu instead of silken, and added shitake mushrooms. It doesn't look very exciting in print but has awesome flavor and is better than any miso soup I've had in a restaurant.

Delicious and very easy and quick. I used firm tofu cut into cubes and I added some thinly sliced mushrooms that fit really good.

Great recipe. Use firm tofu it is easier to cut and will not fall apart as easily in the soup. I also added kelp which is typically found in other miso recipes.

Very good taste, just like a sushi bar. Tad to much tofu, but that's just a personal preference. The dashi/miso paste combo is just right.

It was good. Next time I will used a little less dashi. I used a mild miso and firm tofu as others suggested

A hit with everyone I had served it to. Perfect proportions. Often times, even better than at the Japanese restaurants.

Super simple, fast, and delicious. I've made this many times now, and it never failed. I've made it as described and I've also tried it with baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms to rave reviews either way. The only thing I do change though, is using extra firm tofu instead of silken tofu (the texture is just too mushy for my taste).

Fantastic! Took a while to get the miso paste - had to go to an Asian market and get help from a worker (the miso bag was all in Japanese which is why I had trouble finding it!). Added a couple sheets of dried seaweed in short strips to make it resemble the soup I had in restaurantss. I also used firm tofu rather than silky. Really good!

Very good and so comforting in the winter! Next time I will use tofu that is a bit more firm..personal preference. I added straw mushrooms and roasted seaweed. Tastes just like in the restaurant!

my bf would eat this every day! i have tried it with and without tofu, and recently i have been adding dumplings. sooo good! you can really get creative here, but the base all by itself is awesome! thanks!

I make Miso soup regularly and this recipe is just fine ... but only 4* as ... never cook the soup once you've added the miso paste. You should let the soup cool a bit and then add it to retain the health benefits and flavor.

This tastes just like the miso soup you would get at your local sushi place. It's so easy yet so flavorful. By the way I think dashi is actually the brand name similar to HonDashi not the actual ingredient because I went to a chinese/Japanese supermarket and the worker did not know what I was talking about I told him it was a fish stock which can be a water base like or sold as dried granules and he really couldn't help, but after looking in the spice aisle I found HonDashi which is (dashi) according to the recipe and a package just like Hondashi but a different name brand also the same thing. I used the yellow miso paste and it came out just like I wanted, restaurant quality.

AWESOME!! I put a few more scallions, but it's so good!

easy and delicious. my husband LOVES it.

Just like you'd get in a Japanese restaurant! I had to go to the Asian market to get the dashi granules (important, don't omit!) and miso paste. I used Marikome brand All Natural Miso. This miso is known as Awase which is between a white and a red paste on the miso scale. The only change I made was to use a firm tofu, as recommended by other reviewers. I think using firm is necessary. I thinly slice a sheet of seaweed and added that into the pot just before serving. I also added a couple thinly sliced mushrooms as a garnish. Thanks for the great recipe! So simple! Who knew!?

Tasted really good, but for those who are in college and don't have a kitchen, don't try using a griddle. Makes boiling water nearly impossible. I ended up using firm tofu instead of the silken because it was what was available and added a tad bit more miso but it tasted good.

Followed the recipe to a T. Real easy to make. However my husband thought it was "too rich" and "fishy". I have to agree with him. Maybe too much dashi. Plus our house smelled like dashi broth for a while. Miso soup in our favorite sushi restaurant is so light and delicious. I think we'll stick to that. Some things are meant to be eaten outside of your home...

The soup turned out very tasty, much better than restaurant style. I went to Asian market and one of the employees helped me find all ingredients I needed. I did add little bit of spinach at the end. I will definetly make it again. I will try adding one egg next time for a variety.

I prefer using the dried wakame seaweed in mine and some scallions. You can find the seaweed in an asian supermarket, a normal sized bag lasts a long time, since it's dried and it expands. (be careful not to use too much)

Delicious miso soup recipe. I added some enoki mushrooms in mine and it was yummy. Instead of silken tofu, I used the extra firm kind and it turned out fine. You can also probably add other veggies and ingredients to make this an entree, eg. Japanese ramen and seaweed. This recipe is perfect for detoxing in the New Year and a cold wintry evening!

It tastes like the real thing. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because dashi granules, while convenient, are laden with salt.

Okay, as is, the recipe is fine and tasted just like the soup served in our favorite Japanese restaurants. However, I'm really disappointed, because the first two ingredients in Hondashi granules are salt and MSG! I hate to think I've been eating MSG every time I have miso soup at my favorite restaurant, but it would appear that is the case. I didn't see any other brand at my local Lion market, so what else could they be using? Hopefully it's Bonito dried fish flakes to make their own. We tried that the first time and used tons of flakes, and it turned out to be way too fishy. I am definitely making this soup again, but without the Hondashi granules. I will cut back on the dried fish flakes to make my dashi and see if that makes the soup less fishy. Otherwise, I won't be eating it anymore at all, at home or at the restaurants. Also I agree with the reviewer who said their silken tofu was too soft. Use a fairly firm tofu.

My young daughter LOVES miso soup, but it looked mysterious and hard to make. I am so happy I found this recipe - it was easy to make and just as delicious as at the restaurant. We both give it a big THUMBS UP for a warm winter meal. Bonus that its super easy and quick.