Description
A traditional Japanese comforting miso soup made with nutrient-rich wakame seaweed, silken tofu, and a flavorful blend of white and red miso paste, simmered in umami-rich dashi broth and topped with fresh spring onions.
Ingredients
Scale
Seaweed
- 5g dried wakame seaweed
Stock
- 1l dashi (shop bought or homemade with kombu seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms or bonito flakes)
Main Ingredients
- 200g fresh silken tofu or firm tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 3 tbsp red miso paste
Garnish
- Spring onion, finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Rehydrate Wakame: Place the dried wakame seaweed in a small bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for 5 minutes until the seaweed leaves fully expand and soften.
- Prepare Dashi and Heat: Either prepare homemade dashi stock as per the tip or heat shop-bought dashi until it reaches a rolling boil on the stovetop.
- Add Tofu to Broth: Add the cubed tofu to the boiling dashi and cook gently for 1 minute, allowing the tofu to absorb some flavor while warming through.
- Add Wakame Seaweed: Drain the soaked wakame and add it to the pot with the tofu and dashi.
- Dissolve Miso Paste: Reduce the heat to low. Place both white and red miso pastes in a ladle or fine strainer and slowly dip into the soup. Use a spoon to loosen and dissolve the miso into the broth gradually, ensuring it melts fully without boiling.
- Finish and Serve: Once the miso is fully dissolved, turn off the heat immediately to preserve the delicate flavors. Serve the soup sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions for color and fragrance.
Notes
- For a richer dashi, use a combination of dried kombu seaweed, dried shiitake mushrooms, and bonito flakes.
- You can adjust the ratio of white to red miso paste depending on the preferred flavor intensity; white miso is milder, red miso is stronger and saltier.
- To keep tofu intact, handle gently when adding to the soup.
- Do not boil the soup after adding miso, as high heat can destroy its probiotics and delicate flavor.
- Spring onions add freshness but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: miso soup, Japanese soup, dashi broth, tofu soup, wakame seaweed, traditional miso soup, easy Japanese recipe
