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Close-up of a spoon lifting tofu cubes, seaweed, and green onions from a bowl of Japanese miso soup.

Japanese Miso Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This authentic Japanese miso soup is simple, soothing and full of umami. Made with a kombu-based broth, it features delicate cubes of soft tofu, rehydrated wakame seaweed, and a gentle swirl of miso paste for that signature umami depth.
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Japanese Miso Soup

Ingredients
  

  • 0.17 oz dried wakame, ~5g
  • 10.5 oz soft tofu, ~300g
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons red miso paste
  • 1 ½ tablespoon kombu stock
  • Spring onion, for garnish

Method
 

  1. Place the dried wakame in a bowl of cold water and let it soak for 5–10 minutes. It will expand significantly. Drain and set aside.
    0.17 oz dried wakame
  2. In a pot, bring 5 cups of water to a gentle boil.
    5 cups water
  3. Add the cubed soft tofu and the rehydrated wakame. Simmer for about 3 minutes, just until heated through.
    10.5 oz soft tofu
  4. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer (don’t boil the miso!). Place the miso paste and kombu stock in a fine-mesh strainer or ladle, dip it into the hot broth, and stir slowly to dissolve it evenly into the soup.
    2 tablespoons red miso paste, 1 ½ tablespoon kombu stock
  5. Top with freshly sliced spring onions and serve warm.
    Spring onion

Notes

  1. Dissolve miso through a strainer or ladle for even blending.
  2. Taste before serving — miso can vary in saltiness.
  3. Add miso at the end, not during boiling.
 
Storage:
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat gently over low heat — never boil.