Authentic Japanese miso soup

By Guillaume Diotte
2 min read
Authentique soupe miso japonaise

Authentic Japanese miso soup

Taken from the blog La petite bette , this recipe will take you on a journey to the heart of Japanese culinary culture!

For the dashi (Japanese basic broth)

  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 piece of whole Kombu An Ocean of Flavors (approximately 10 cm x 20 cm)
  • 2 cups bonito flakes (katsuobushi) * (loosely packed)

For the miso soup

  • 5 cups of dashi
  • 200g silken tofu
  • ¼ cup of Wakame seaweed flakes An Ocean of Flavors
  • ⅓ cup miso paste shiro miso (white miso) **
  • chopped green onions (to taste)

For the dashi

  1. Boil water in a saucepan, turn off the heat. Add the Kombu seaweed pieces and let it steep for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the katsuobushi flakes, cover (off heat) and let infuse for 15 minutes.

  3. Strain the dashi through a sieve or cheesecloth and let cool. Use as is, refrigerate for a few days, or freeze for future use. You can freeze it in ice cube format for recipes that call for less, and in larger sizes for miso soups and other delicacies.

For the miso soup

  1. Heat the dashi stock until it is almost boiling, but not boiling.

  2. Meanwhile, soak your wakame seaweed in a cup of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep only the rehydrated wakame seaweed.

  3. Dice the tofu and place the diced tofu in the hot dashi broth. Let it heat and infuse for 5 minutes.

  4. Transfer a ladleful of the broth to another bowl, add the miso paste, and whisk gently until all the paste is dissolved. Stir everything back into the soup.

  5. Add the wakame seaweed either to the bowls or directly to the soup. Pour the miso soup into the bowls and garnish with the green onions.

* Bonito is a species of fish. Bonito flakes are easily found in any good Asian grocery store. Note that just like seaweed, there are different categories and qualities. Make sure you choose wisely!

Dashi can also be purchased pre-made, but like most processed products, a homemade version will be much tastier and healthier!

** Miso is a fermented paste of soybeans and/or barley and/or rice. There are several varieties of miso, and shiro miso is generally the mildest. The taste of miso and miso soup will therefore depend on the miso used, its intensity, and the flavor profiles it contains.

To see the full video of how to prepare this recipe, click here !