Easy Miso Soup Recipe (Our Secret Umami Twist)

Add four cups of water and one piece of kombu to a medium saucepan. If you have time, let the kombu soak in the water for about 30 minutes to help draw out its flavor.

It is very important that you do not wash the kombu or wipe off the white powder on its surface, as that powder is pure umami. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Slowly heat the water until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pot, which should take about 10 minutes.

Right before the water comes to a full boil, remove the kombu. If you leave it in, the dashi can become bitter and slimy. What you have now is Kombu Dashi, a perfect base for a vegan soup.

To make the classic Awase Dashi, add one cup of katsuobushi to the pot. Bring it back to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and let it simmer for just 30 seconds. You will see the bonito flakes dance in the simmering water.

Turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi settle to the bottom of the pot, which takes about 10 minutes. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the flakes. Your delicious dashi is now ready.

Pour your finished dashi back into the saucepan and warm it over medium heat until it is hot but not boiling.

Now it is time to add the miso paste. To do this without creating lumps, place four tablespoons of miso into a ladle. Submerge the ladle partway into the hot dashi and add a little bit of the liquid into the ladle. Use chopsticks or a small whisk to stir until the miso dissolves into a smooth paste.

Once the miso is completely smooth, gently stir it into the rest of the dashi in the pot. It is critical that you never boil the soup after the miso has been added. Boiling destroys its delicate aroma, flavor, and beneficial probiotics.

Next, cut your silken tofu into small half-inch cubes. Gently add the tofu to the soup. I always add the tofu after the miso is dissolved to prevent it from breaking apart while I stir.

Finally, add one tablespoon of dried wakame seaweed and freshly sliced green onion right before serving. This keeps their color vibrant and their fragrance fresh. Your authentic miso soup is now ready to enjoy.