Miso Soup (味噌汁 (misoshiru))
Overview
Miso soup is the quiet companion of almost every Japanese meal, served alongside rice and pickles at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It begins with dashi, a delicate stock made from kombu seaweed and dried bonito flakes, into which fermented soybean paste is dissolved just before serving. Miso should never boil hard, because heat dulls its aroma, so cooks whisk it in at the last moment. Classic fillings are small cubes of silken tofu, wakame seaweed and sliced spring onion, but clams, mushrooms, potato or daikon change with the seasons. White miso gives a sweet, mild soup, while red miso is saltier and more robust. Some miso varieties contain barley, so check the label if you avoid gluten.
History
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, reached Japan from mainland Asia many centuries ago and was at first a valuable, even luxurious food. Over time, Japanese cooks began dissolving it in water and stock, and by the medieval period miso soup had become part of everyday meals, encouraged in part by the simple cooking of Buddhist temples. The pairing of rice, miso soup and side dishes became the backbone of the traditional Japanese meal, and it remains a standard breakfast and dinner dish today.
Main ingredients
Miso paste, dashi, tofu, wakame seaweed, spring onion. The soup is built on dashi (kombu and bonito) and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: More soups from Japan
Recipe
Method
- 130 min
Soak the kombu in the water for 30 minutes, then heat until just below boiling and remove it.
- 22 min
Add the bonito flakes, simmer for 2 minutes, rest for 5 and strain to make dashi.
- 3
Add tofu and drained wakame to the hot dashi.
- 4
Dissolve the miso in a ladle of dashi and stir it back in without boiling.
- 5
Serve at once topped with spring onion.
- ✓
Serve. About 15 min from start to bowl.
Pictures
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
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