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Homemade Miso Soup with Tofu Recipe

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This traditional Homemade Miso Soup with Tofu features a rich, umami-packed Awase Dashi broth made from kombu and katsuobushi, combined with soft silken tofu, wakame seaweed, and fresh green onions. Making dashi from scratch enhances the depth of flavor, embodying the essence of Japanese comfort food in a heartwarming, nourishing bowl.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Dashi Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), about ⅓ oz (10 g), 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
  • 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), loosely packed 3 cups if stronger flavor desired

Miso Soup Ingredients

  • 7 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu)
  • 4 Tbsp miso paste (1 Tbsp per cup of dashi)
  • 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
  • 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dashi broth: In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups water and 1 piece kombu. Soak kombu for 30 minutes if you have time. Slowly heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until just before boiling. Remove kombu to prevent bitterness; the liquid is now Kombu Dashi.
  2. Add Katsuobushi: For non-vegetarian version, add 1 cup katsuobushi to kombu dashi. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and let katsuobushi sink for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve to yield 4 cups Awase Dashi.
  3. Prepare Soup Base: Pour the strained dashi into a saucepan and warm to about 205°F (96°C) over medium heat, then turn off heat before adding miso to preserve flavor.
  4. Dissolve Miso: Place 4 Tbsp miso paste in a ladle, slowly add dashi and stir with chopsticks or a miso muddler until fully dissolved. Optionally, use a fine-mesh strainer to speed process and remove rice koji particles if preferred.
  5. Cut Tofu: Cut 7 oz soft/silken tofu into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes, then gently add to the miso soup after miso is fully dissolved to avoid breaking tofu.
  6. Add Wakame and Green Onion: Add 1 Tbsp dried wakame and the sliced green onion just before serving to retain freshness and fragrance. For lower salt, soak wakame separately to reduce salt.
  7. Serve: Serve miso soup immediately, placing the bowl on the right side of the table setting as per traditional Japanese dining etiquette.
  8. Store: Cool leftover soup to room temperature within 4 hours, refrigerate for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate dashi separately without miso; add miso and tofu only when serving. Tofu should be removed before freezing miso soup to maintain texture.
  9. Reheat: Warm miso soup on medium heat without boiling to preserve nutrients and flavor.
  10. Utilize Spent Ingredients: Store used kombu and katsuobushi in airtight containers in fridge (up to 1 week) or freezer (up to 1 month). Use for simmered kombu (kombu tsukudani) or homemade furikake rice seasoning.

Notes

  • Do not boil miso soup once miso is added to prevent loss of flavor and nutritional value.
  • Never wash kombu before cooking; the white substance contains umami.
  • Soaking kombu before cooking extracts more flavor but can be skipped if short on time.
  • Adjust the amount of miso to taste; if too salty, dilute with dashi or water.
  • Rehydrate wakame separately to reduce saltiness if desired.
  • Soft/silken tofu is traditional but be gentle when stirring to avoid breaking it.
  • Miso soup tastes best freshly made but can be stored properly to maintain quality.
  • For vegan/vegetarian option, omit katsuobushi and use only kombu dashi or kombu with dried shiitake mushroom-based dashi.
  • Author: Daisy
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Japanese
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Find it online: https://dishiary.com/homemade-miso-soup-with-tofu-recipe/