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How miso soup turns out depends almost entirely on how you make the dashi and how you handle the heat once the miso goes in. This is the basic recipe for two servings of tofu and wakame miso soup, made with dashi from kombu and bonito flakes, along with tips for getting it right.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 500 ml water
- 5 g kombu (dried kelp)
- 10 g katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- 1/4 block tofu (about 75 g)
- 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- 2 tbsp miso
This makes about 400 ml of dashi, the Japanese stock that is the base of the soup. A good guide is 1 tbsp of miso for every 200 ml of dashi. To use granulated dashi instead, dissolve 2/3 tsp in 400 ml of hot water. Some granulated dashi contains salt, so start with less miso. Firm or silken tofu both work. Instead of dried wakame, you can use 10 g of salted wakame.
Instructions
1. Soak the kombu
Put 500 ml of water and the kombu in a pot and leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Take out the kombu
Heat the pot over medium-low heat. When small bubbles form on the sides of the pot and the water is just about to boil, take out the kombu.
3. Add the bonito flakes and strain
Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Leave them for 1 to 2 minutes, until they sink to the bottom. Line a sieve with a paper towel or cloth and strain the dashi gently. Do not squeeze the flakes.
4. Prepare the tofu and wakame
Soak the dried wakame in water to rehydrate it, then drain. Cut the tofu into 1 cm cubes.
5. Heat the tofu and wakame
Return 400 ml of the strained dashi to the pot and heat it over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, add the tofu and warm it for about 1 minute. Add the wakame and heat briefly.
6. Stir in the miso
Turn the heat down so the soup is no longer bubbling. Scoop the miso into a ladle and thin it with some of the dashi from the pot as you stir it in. When all the miso has dissolved, raise the heat slightly, and when the edges of the soup start to bubble gently, turn off the heat before it boils.
Tips for Getting It Right
Take the kombu out before the water boils
If the kombu stays in the water while it boils, the dashi loses its flavor. Small bubbles on the sides of the pot are the sign that the water is about to boil.
Don’t squeeze the bonito flakes
Squeezing the flakes when you strain them makes the dashi harsh and bitter. Let the dashi drip through the paper towel or cloth on its own.
Don’t boil the soup after adding the miso
Boiling the soup once the miso is in drives off its aroma and changes the taste. Miso smells best just before the soup comes to a boil. Don’t let it boil when you reheat it, either.
Dissolve the miso in a ladle first
Miso dropped straight into the pot tends to stay in lumps. Mixing it with dashi in a ladle first lets it spread evenly through the soup.
Serve the tofu gently
Tofu breaks easily, so scoop it up with the ladle and slide it gently into the bowl.
If It Doesn’t Turn Out Right
It’s too salty. The saltiness of miso varies from brand to brand. Add dashi or hot water a little at a time, tasting as you go. Next time, start with less miso and add more if needed.
It tastes weak. Dissolve in a little more miso, again thinning it in the ladle before adding it.
It doesn’t smell of much. The soup boiled after the miso went in. This can’t be undone, so next time turn off the heat as soon as the edges start to bubble gently.
The dashi tastes harsh. The bonito flakes were squeezed. Next time, leave them to drain on their own after straining.
The tofu fell apart. Stirring the soup or pouring it quickly into the bowl breaks the tofu. Avoid stirring once the tofu is in, and serve it gently with the ladle.
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Sources
- Marukome, miso soup made with kombu and bonito dashi (in Japanese)
- Marukome, miso soup tips (in Japanese)
- Yamaki, how to make kombu and bonito dashi (in Japanese)
- Yamaki, how to make bonito dashi (in Japanese)
- Meguro City, how to make dashi (in Japanese)
- Ajinomoto, basic tofu and wakame miso soup (in Japanese)
- Minna no Kyou no Ryouri, tofu and wakame miso soup by Junko Takagi (in Japanese)
- Minna no Kyou no Ryouri, tofu and wakame miso soup by Naomi Kijima (in Japanese)
- Minna no Kyou no Ryouri, tofu and wakame miso soup by Tatsuo Saito (in Japanese)
- Delish Kitchen, basic tofu and wakame miso soup (in Japanese)
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