Classic Miso Soup (with Vegan alternative)

If you’ve dined in a Japanese restaurant, you’ve most likely had miso soup.

We have it just about every day in Japan… and I continue that tradition with my son, here in the US! To keep it interesting, we switch it up every now and then with different ingredients including: deep fried tofu, mushrooms, daikon, fish, and clams!

Sometimes I add a scoop of white rice in the soup to make it heartier (it’s still one of my son’s favorite between-meal snacks!) … and now that I’ve cut back on rice, I add extra tofu in mine to keep me satisfied!

The three types of miso pastes usually available at your local Asian markets are:

White miso (shiro) – made from fermented soybeans and rice. This is the mildest has a lightly sweet flavor.

Yellow miso (shinsu) – made from fermented soybeans and barley. This one is slightly saltier than the white miso.

Red miso (aka) – made from fermented soybeans and barley. It’s the saltiest and strongest flavored miso.

My personal favorite is the “awase miso” which is a combination of the white and red miso. I love how it perfectly balances out the mildest and strongest flavors!

Making miso soup is simple and quick! Ready?

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Classic Miso Soup (with Vegan alternative)

Author GirlPlusFood.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dashi granules
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cups firm tofu cubed
• 3-4 tbsp miso paste I used 4 tbsps of awase miso paste
• 2 sheets nori
• Vegan alternative: Replace water with vegetable broth and omit dashi granules.
• Gluten Free alternative: Use white shiro miso made with soybeans and rice.

Instructions

• Place water and dashi granules in medium saucepan. Bring to boil and stir until dashi is dissolved.
• Add nori and simmer about 3-5 minutes
• In the meantime, place miso in small bowl, add a small amount of hot water and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• Add green onion and tofu to the pot of water/dashi mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add miso mixture, and stir to combine.
• Taste and add more miso if desired. Serve warm and fresh!

Notes

Do not boil the soup once you add miso to avoid losing flavor.