Description
This traditional Japanese Miso Soup is a comforting and nourishing broth made with kombu seaweed, wakame, silken tofu, and green onions, enriched with the umami flavor of white miso paste. It’s a quick and easy recipe perfect for a light soup or appetizer, gentle on the palate and full of delicate flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth Base
- 1 (3-inch) piece kombu
- 4 cups water
Soup Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons wakame dried seaweed
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion
- 6 ounces silken tofu, cubed
- Tamari, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Kombu Broth: Gently rinse the kombu piece to remove any impurities. Place it in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and gently simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the water boil to avoid bitterness in the broth.
- Rehydrate Wakame: While the kombu simmers, soak the dried wakame seaweed in a small bowl of warm water for at least 5 minutes until it is fully rehydrated and softened.
- Combine Miso Paste: Remove the kombu from the pot after simmering. In a small bowl, mix the white miso paste with some of the hot broth from the pot until the miso is smooth and fully dissolved. Then stir this mixture back into the pot.
- Add Wakame, Tofu, and Green Onions: Drain the wakame and add it to the soup along with the cubed silken tofu and chopped green onions. Allow the soup to simmer gently over very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to warm through without boiling.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding tamari to your preference. Serve hot as a comforting starter or light meal.
Notes
- Do not boil the kombu broth to avoid bitterness and preserve delicate flavors.
- Silken tofu is preferred for its smooth texture, but you can substitute with firm tofu if desired.
- Use tamari as a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce for seasoning.
- Miso paste is sensitive to heat; avoid boiling after adding it to preserve its flavor and beneficial probiotics.
- For a richer broth, you can add dashi powder or bonito flakes, but the recipe is delicious as is.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 1.2g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
