Making Miso Soup at Home
A proper bowl of miso soup is about the balance between the depth of the ocean-based stock and the earthy, salty quality of fermented soy paste. By controlling the temperature, you ensure the miso remains bright and aromatic rather than muddy.
Temperature control is your only real chore.
Have all your garnishes prepared and the miso thinned before you even look at your stove. This process moves quickly once the water hits the dashi ingredients.
- medium saucepan
- fine-mesh strainer
- whisk or miso muddler
- small bowl
What goes in.
- 4 cupswater
- 1 piecekombu (dried kelp), about 4 inches
- 1 cupkatsuobushi (bonito flakes)
- 3 tbspmiso paste (red or white)
- 1/2 cupsilken tofu, cubed
- 1 tbspwakame, rehydrated
- 1 stalkscallion, thinly sliced
Why you never boil miso
Miso contains live cultures and delicate aromatics. Boiling causes the proteins to separate and the complex notes to vanish, leaving a flat, salty liquid.
The method.
Prepare the kombu stock
Place water and kombu in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. As soon as small bubbles appear at the edges, remove the kombu.
Infuse the bonito
Add the katsuobushi to the water. Turn off the heat and let it steep for 3 minutes until the flakes sink to the bottom. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Heat the solids
Return the strained dashi to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu and wakame. Cook for 1 minute until the tofu is heated through.
Incorporate the miso
Ladle a small amount of hot dashi into a small bowl. Whisk the miso into this liquid until completely smooth. Pour the mixture back into the main saucepan. Turn off the heat immediately.
Garnish and serve
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with scallions and serve while steaming.
Other turns to take.
Hearty Miso
Add sliced daikon radish or carrot into the dashi during the simmer stage until tender.
Clam Miso
Add washed littleneck clams to the dashi at the beginning; they will cook as the stock heats.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If using a dark red miso, use less, as it is generally more potent than white miso.
Do not rinse the white powder off the kombu; that is umami.
If you are short on time, dashi granules are a common shortcut, though they lack the nuance of a fresh steep.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I reheat leftover miso soup?
You can, but do it gently over low heat. If it boils, the flavor will change significantly.
What is the best miso to start with?
A 'blended' or 'awase' miso is the most versatile for beginners as it balances the sweetness of white miso with the intensity of red.
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