MISO HAPPY SOUP
A light, savory, soul-warming Japanese soup that's ready in minutes! Made with just a handful of ingredients, this simple miso soup is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a comforting start to dinner. Best of all, it's endlessly adaptable with fresh vegetables and little bits of leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- Instant Hondashi dashi granules approximately ? teaspoon, or according to package directions for 2 cups of stock
- 1½ –2 tablespoons white shiro miso paste, or to taste
- ¼ cup silken tofu or your favorite tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried wakame seaweed
- 1 green onion scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
LET'S MAKE SOUP!
Wake Up the Seaweed!
- Place the dried wakame in a small bowl of cool water and let soak for about 5 minutes, until softened. Drain and set aside. A little goes a long way, as wakame expands considerably!
Make the Dashi Stock
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the Hondashi granules until dissolved, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Warm the Goodies
- Add the tofu cubes and softened wakame to the hot dashi. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, just until the tofu is heated through. Avoid vigorous boiling, especially when using delicate silken tofu.
Make It MISO HAPPY!
- Turn off the heat.
- Spoon a little hot broth into a separate cup or small bowl. Add the miso paste and whisk until completely smooth and creamy.
- Stir the dissolved miso back into the saucepan. The broth should remain pleasantly hot without needing to boil again.
Serve and Savor!
- Divide the soup between two small Japanese soup bowls and garnish with freshly sliced green onions.
- Serve immediately while wonderfully warm!
MAKE IT YOUR OWN!
One of the loveliest things about miso soup is how easily you can change it up with fresh ingredients or little treasures from the refrigerator.
- Try adding:
- Mushrooms: Thinly sliced shiitake, enoki, or button mushrooms.
- Fresh Greens: Baby spinach, bok choy, or finely shredded cabbage.
- Imitation Crab Sticks: Cut into ¾-inch pieces and warm gently in the broth.
- Japanese Dumplings: Add a fully cooked, heated gyoza or other Japanese dumpling just before serving.
- Leftover Vegetables: Small pieces of cooked vegetables make wonderful additions.
- Extra Seaweed: A little additional wakame for those who love its delicate ocean flavor.
- Add ingredients that need cooking to the simmering dashi before stirring in the miso.
