Easy miso soup ready within 20 minutes tops! With a simple swap, this traditional miso paste and dashi-based soup is ready for all Japanese food lovers, including gluten-free guests!
Place 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons bonito dashi granules in a medium (3-quart or 3-liter) saucepan and bring to a simmer (just before boiling), then lower the heat to medium.
Place 6 tablespoons miso paste in a small strainer. Lower the strainer into the pot of simmering broth until the miso paste is submerged. Stir the miso with chopsticks or a small whisk until it is fully dissolved. Alternatively, you can add the miso paste directly into the simmering water and whisk until dissolved.
Prepare the silken tofu, scallion, optional daikon radish and enoki mushrooms (if using) while you wait for the stock to simmer.
Turn up the heat to medium and immediately add in the cut enoki mushrooms (optional), sliced daikon radish (optional), silken tofu, and ¼ cup wakame. Cook until the daikon just starts to turn translucent (about 10 minutes).
Ladle into individual soup bowls and top with sliced scallions.
notes
optional enoki mushroom substitutions:1 large king trumpet mushroom (about 3 ounces or 85 grams), thinly sliced on a diagonal1 (3.5-ounce or 100-gram) package beech (shimeji) mushrooms, ends cut off and separated into smaller chunks by handvegetarian option – Use konbu (kelp-based) dashi granules (affiliate link) instead of bonito dashi.top tips:When using daikon in soups, cut slices with the grain rather than against the grain (as shown in the step-by-step photos in the post above). This will give each slice a satisfying toothsome bite even after being fully cooked. That way you avoid soggy, too-soft, vegetables even when reheating a bowl of miso soup.Keep the stove on medium heat or lower when simmering miso soup. You never want it to boil since it will change the flavor in a subtle way. If you find the pot of soup coming to a boil, immediately turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat.storage – Miso soup can be stored in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I often prepare a large batch to enjoy for breakfast during the week.reheat – in the microwave, covered, for 30 seconds to 1 minute or in a small saucepan on the stove just until it starts to simmer (about 5 minutes).freezing:The soup base (water, dashi, miso, and wakame) can be frozen in pint or quart-sized freezer-friendly containers. You can also freeze it in Souper cubes for different portion sizes. Just make sure to leave room at the top since the contents will expand when frozen.Tofu and daikon radish don't stand up well to freezing since the texture will change. You can add these to the reheated soup base.reheating from frozen:Reheat directly from the freezer in a small saucepan on the stove just until it starts to simmer, then add in freshly cut silken tofu, wakame, and optional ingredients like daikon and enoki mushrooms.Simmer until the daikon just starts to turn translucent (about 10 minutes).
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.