# Easy Miso Soup

Miso soup is a light Japanese soup of dashi broth, miso paste, tofu and seaweed. It is savory, warming and ready in about 15 minutes.

The two keys are a gentle dashi and adding the miso off the heat. Boiling miso destroys its delicate aroma, so stir it in last and serve right away.

- Total time: 15 min (prep 5 min, cook 10 min)
- Serves: 4
- Per serving (estimated): 80 kcal, 7 g protein
- Cuisine: Japanese. Category: Soup. Diet: dairy-free, low-calorie.

## Ingredients

- 4 cups water
- 1 piece kombu (10 cm square), wiped
- 1/2 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
- 3 tbsp white or yellow miso paste
- 200 g silken tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp dried wakame
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced

## Method

1. Put the water and kombu in a medium pot. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form at the edges, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil.
2. Remove the kombu just before it boils. Add the bonito flakes and bring to a bare simmer for 1 minute.
3. Turn off the heat and let the flakes sink, about 2 minutes. Strain the dashi through a fine sieve into a clean pot.
4. Soak the wakame in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, until soft and green, then drain.
5. Heat the dashi over medium-low until steaming. Add the tofu and wakame and warm for 2 minutes.
6. Put the miso in a ladle or small bowl and whisk in a few spoonfuls of hot dashi until completely smooth.
7. Turn off the heat. Stir the miso mixture into the pot. Do not boil, or the miso loses its aroma.
8. Ladle into bowls and top with scallions. Serve right away.

## Why it works

- Kombu and bonito flakes make dashi, a broth packed with natural umami in just a few minutes.
- Heating the kombu gently and removing it before boiling avoids a slimy, bitter broth.
- Dissolving the miso in a little hot broth first prevents lumps.
- Adding the miso off the heat preserves its aroma and live flavor.

## The science

- **Kombu and bonito double the umami.** Kombu is rich in glutamate and bonito flakes are rich in inosinate. Two different umami compounds together taste far stronger than either alone, which is why dashi tastes so deep even though it is so simple and quick.
- **Why miso should not boil.** Miso is fermented, and its fragrance comes from delicate aroma compounds that are easily lost to heat. Boiling also dulls its flavor and makes the soup taste flat. Warming the dashi first, then stirring in the miso off the heat, keeps it lively.

## Tips

- Dissolve the miso in a ladle with a little hot dashi before stirring it into the pot.
- Use instant dashi granules if you are short on time, but check the salt.
- Different miso varieties vary in saltiness, so add a little at a time and taste.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Boiling the soup after adding miso: the aroma is lost, so stay below a simmer.
- Boiling the kombu: it turns bitter and slimy, so remove it before the water boils.
- Stirring miso straight into the pot: it clumps, so whisk it in a ladle first.

## Variations and swaps

- Add sliced mushrooms or baby spinach with the tofu.
- Add a splash of sesame oil and a handful of cooked udon noodles.
- Use red miso for a deeper, saltier flavor or mix white and red.
- Swap bonito flakes for dried shiitake mushrooms in the water to make it vegetarian and vegan.
- Swap silken tofu for firm tofu if you want pieces that hold their shape.

## Storage

Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for up to 2 days and reheat gently to steaming (not boiling), since the soup loses aroma when reheated.

## FAQ

**What is miso soup made of?**

Miso soup is made from dashi (kombu and bonito broth), miso paste, tofu, seaweed and scallions.

**Can I make miso soup without dashi?**

Yes. Use instant dashi granules, or simmer dried shiitake mushrooms in water for a vegan version.

**Why does my miso soup taste bland?**

It likely needs more miso or a stronger dashi. Add miso a half tablespoon at a time and taste after each addition.

**Can I reheat miso soup?**

You can warm it gently, but do not boil it. Reheated miso soup loses some of its aroma, so it is best eaten fresh.

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Source: https://cookingscientist.com/recipes/miso-soup (Cooking Scientist). Learn the science of cooking in the Cooking Scientist app for iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6830326846