Learn how to make authentic, easy miso soup in 10 minutes with one pot! Customize this basic recipe using what you have in the pantry or fridge for a comforting bowl of goodness with your lunch or dinner.
Learning how to make miso soup properly is a basic skill for all Japanese home cooks. For a detailed guide on miso soup, I recommend reading my comprehensive Miso Soup post. It is one of the most important recipes I’ve shared on Just One Cookbook.
If you love miso flavor, try my Miso Ramen, Miso Salmon, and Miso Glazed Eggplant next!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is developed specifically for college students or anyone with an electric pot. By following the four key points below, you can make an excellent bowl of miso soup whenever you’re craving something comforting.
- Use a dashi packet: The quickest method to make miso soup is to use a dashi packet. I don’t recommend dashi powder, as many contain MSG or salt. Also, avoid using vegetable or chicken broth, or water. You can get a dashi packet on Amazon.
- Don’t overcook the tofu: Tofu is the star ingredient in this classic miso soup. You want the taste and texture to be just right. Since tofu is edible straight out of the package, you don’t need to cook it; just gently warm it. Overcooking will change its texture, making it hard and affecting its flavor.
- Add miso right before serving: Miso soup is most fragrant when served fresh, so add the miso paste just before serving. Since boiling miso ruins its flavor, heat the broth (without the miso) until it’s simmering hot, then stir in the miso paste and serve.
- Do not let the miso soup boil: When preparing miso soup, heat it until very hot, add the miso, and serve immediately. If reheating, stay close and turn off the heat as soon as the soup starts to simmer. Boiling the soup will make it taste sour.
Once you try this homemade recipe, you’ll never look back. It tastes so much better than what you get at restaurants!
Ingredients for Miso Soup
- Water
- Dashi packet
- Soft/silken tofu
- Miso — The quality of the miso makes a big difference. My favorite brand of miso is Hikari Miso, and you can find their products in Asian/Japanese supermarkets or on Amazon.
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Green onion/scallion for garnish
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Jump to RecipeSubstitutions
- Dashi packet: As I mentioned, using a dashi packet is the most convenient way to make dashi, producing a much more flavorful soup stock than dashi powder. However, if you can’t get the packet, you can use the powder or make dashi from scratch, which takes about 20 minutes.
How to Make Miso Soup
Preparation
Step 1 – Prepare the ingredients. Thinly slice the green onions and cut the tofu into small cubes.
Step 2 – Make dashi. Add water and the dashi packet in a pot. Cover and bring it to a simmer. Once boiling, let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, shaking the packet a few times. Once finished, discard the packet. If you’re using dashi powder, add the powder to boiling water. Now dashi is ready to use.
Cook
Step 3 – Make miso soup. Add the tofu and wakame seaweed. The tofu just needs to warm up.
Step 4 – Add the miso paste. Let the chunk of miso dissolve completely in the ladle. Don’t boil miso soup.
Step 5 – Serve. Add the green onions and serve.
Nami’s Recipe Tips
- Cut the tofu into 1 cm (about ½ inch) cubes. This size is ideal for miso soup. If you use a small cutting board, it’s much easier to transfer the tofu into the pot.
- As a general rule, one tablespoon (18 g) of miso paste is sufficient for one bowl of miso soup (which holds 200 ml of dashi). Some miso pastes might be saltier than others, so start with less; and you can always add more after tasting.
- Let the chunk of miso dissolve completely in a ladle or a miso strainer—never add it directly to the soup! No one wants to find a salty chunk of miso in a soup!
Variations and Customizations
You’re probably familiar with the classic tofu and wakame miso soup; however, it is easily customizable!
- Use seasonal produce. This is the Japanese way when the ingredients are at their freshest. Here are some examples:
- tomatoes in the summer (Tomato and Tofu Miso Soup)
- asparagus in the spring (Bacon Asparagus Miso Soup)
- kabocha squash in the fall (Kabocha Miso Soup)
- cabbage in the winter (Cabbage and Onsen Tamago Miso Soup)
- Use ingredients you have on hand! For inspiration, refer to this list of Just One Cookbook miso soup recipes as your guide.
What to Serve with Miso Soup
- As a quick meal – Miso soup makes a satisfying accompaniment to fried rice, rice bowls, and noodle dishes!
- As an ichiju sansai meal – For the Japanese “One Soup Three Dishes” style meal, I served miso soup with steamed rice, natto (fermented soybean), 3-Ingredient Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette), and a scallop side dish from the Japanese grocery store. All my tableware is from my shop, JOC Goods!
Storage and Reheating Tips
It’s best to consume miso soup immediately, as it will lose its aroma and flavor over time. However, if you have leftovers, here are instructions on how to store them.
To store: Once miso soup is cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate immediately for up to 2 days.
To freeze: I don’t recommend freezing miso soup because the flavor deteriorates quickly. But you can freeze it for up to 1-2 weeks. If you do, remove the tofu, as its texture changes when frozen.
To reheat: For the best results, bring the soup to a simmer (190°F/88°C) and NEVER boil it. Boiling will cause the miso soup to lose its flavor and aroma. Also, avoid overcooking the tofu, as it will change its texture and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dashi, or Japanese soup stock, is the foundation of many Japanese dishes, including miso soup. I have a comprehensive dashi guide that you might want to check out.
Dashi is typically made from kombu (seaweed) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes), and it takes less than 20 minutes to make from scratch. However, the most convenient, quick and easy method that doesn’t sacrifice authentic flavor is to use a dashi packet.
The dashi packet is filled with umami-rich ingredients, and the method is similar to making tea. You simply steep the dashi packet in water for a few minutes, and your soup stock will be ready to use.
Never use chicken or vegetable broth for miso soup. Dashi has a delicate flavor and is full of umami, which is the key ingredient in making authentic miso soup.
I recommend the Kayanoya brand, which you can buy from local Japanese markets or on Amazon.
Since dashi packets or dashi powder contain fish, you will need to make Vegan Dashi from scratch. Alternatively, buy the Shimaya brand’s kombu dashi powder on Amazon, which is vegan-friendly.
I’d recommend starting with white miso, which has a slightly sweet, mild, mellow flavor. Then, try different types from there. Red miso tends to have bold flavors, which I enjoy pairing with protein and more savory ingredients.
More 10-Minute Easy Recipes
To learn how to cook simple, fast, and affordable meals using a versatile electric pot, check out some of our 10-Minute College Meal Series below:
10 Minute Meal – Miso Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 dashi packet (or dashi powder, click the link to check the measurements; for vegan/vegetarian, make Vegan Dashi)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 2 Tbsp miso (any type of miso you like; I like Hikari Miso brand)
- ½ Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- ¼ block soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
- Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion.
- Cut ¼ block soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) into small cubes.
- Add 2 cups water and 1 dashi packet to a saucepan on the stovetop or an electric pot. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot. If you're using dashi powder, bring water to a boil. Add the powder to boiling water and it's ready to use.
- Shake the dashi packet with your chopsticks to release more flavor into the stock. Once the stock reaches a boil, remove the dashi packet.
- Add the tofu cubes and ½ Tbsp dried wakame seaweed.
- Completely dissolve 2 Tbsp miso in a ladleful of stock, then stir it into the broth. You can also use a miso muddler or fine-mesh miso strainer to dissolve the paste. Bring the miso soup to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat. DO NOT let the miso soup boil.
To Serve
- Serve immediately in individual miso soup bowls and garnish with sliced green onions.
- Place on the right side of the table setting; you can read about this in my post Ichiju Sansai (One Soup Three Dishes).
To Store
- It‘s best to consume all the miso soup right away because it will lose its aroma and taste as time passes. Let the soup cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze miso soup for up to 2 weeks, but remove the tofu as its texture changes when frozen. Reheat in a pot over medium heat until just hot, but do not boil it. Miso loses its nutrients, flavor, and aroma at high temperatures.
Thanks for the recipe. Does 1 packet = 2 tsp powder?
Hi Josh! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe.
If you are using Dashi powder, the recommended amount is 2 teaspoons for 2 cups of water. We hope this helps! 😃
https://www.justonecookbook.com/dashi-powder/