Homemade Miso Soup with Tofu
A comforting and authentic Japanese soup made with dashi, silken tofu, wakame, and green onions. Light, nourishing, and ready in just 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soup / Side Dish
- Method: Simmering / Stove-top
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
4 cups water
1 piece kombu (dried kelp, ⅓ oz / 10 g, about 4×4 inches)
1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), packed
7 oz soft or silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu), cut into ½-inch cubes
4 Tbsp miso (white, red, or mixed; 1 Tbsp per cup of dashi)
1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Dashi (Can Be Prepared Ahead):
Add 4 cups of water and 1 piece of kombu to a medium saucepan. If possible, soak kombu for 30 minutes.
Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat (about 10 minutes). Right before boiling, remove the kombu.
Add 1 cup katsuobushi to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds.
Turn off heat and let katsuobushi sink (about 10 minutes), then strain the broth. You now have Awase Dashi.
Prepare the Miso Soup:
5. Reheat the dashi gently if it has cooled. Do not boil.
6. Add 4 Tbsp miso to a ladle, add a bit of warm dashi, and stir until fully dissolved. Then mix it back into the pot.
7. Add cubed tofu and gently stir.
8. Add dried wakame and sliced green onions just before serving. Let them rehydrate in the hot broth for a minute.
To Serve:
9. Serve hot immediately. Pair with rice or use as a side for a complete Japanese meal.
Notes
Never boil miso soup after adding miso; high heat destroys its delicate flavor and beneficial enzymes.
For vegetarian or vegan dashi, skip the katsuobushi and use kombu only, or kombu + dried shiitake mushrooms.
Rehydrate wakame in water separately if you’re watching your salt intake.
Dashi can be made ahead and refrigerated (3–5 days) or frozen (up to 2 weeks).
Store leftover miso soup in the fridge for up to 2 days, but for best flavor, add miso just before serving.
Find it online: https://allrecipesmade.com/homemade-miso-soup-with-tofu/
