Miso soup, also known as miso shiru, is a simple but flavorful soup that goes with any meal. It comes together so quickly and you only need a handful of ingredients to make authentic Japanese miso soup at home! Savory, comforting, and satisfying, you’ll want to make it every day.

I love a warm bowl of miso soup with my meal. It’s so simple but satisfyingly delicious. It’s a staple in Japanese cuisine and you can enjoy it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s one of the easiest soups you can make at home and you don’t need anything fancy to whip this up.

Overhead view of a bowl of miso sauce with a heart shaped piece of tofu.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s very simple to make. You simply combine everything in a pot and let it simmer. Easy peasy!
It’s easily customizable. There are many ways to make miso soup and you can add a variety of ingredients, from greens such as spinach, cabbage, and leeks, to any veggies you’ve got in your fridge, like carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms.
While it does take a little longer than instant miso soup, you can make this soup in under 20 minutes! It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to make miso soup from scratch, and it tastes so much better.

Miso Soup Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make homemade miso soup.

hondashi powder — while you can make dashi broth from scratch, I use hondashi powder, which is the granulated powdered form of dashi broth. The powder helps you create a quick soup base in a couple of minutes.
miso paste — I use white miso paste, which is the sweetest and mildest of the miso pastes. That is my personal preference, but you’re welcomed to use a different miso paste if you prefer. Down below will have more information on the different types!
wakame — also known as dried seaweed. It comes in large sheets or pre-cut. I have the large ones and I simply tear or crush a handful before adding them to my soup. They expand quite a bit once they’ve rehydrated!
tofu — you can technically use any type of tofu to make miso soup. Silken tofu and soft tofu are popular choices.

How to Make Miso Soup

Set of two photos showing hondashi and paste added to the pot.

In a pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil before lowering the heat to a low simmer. Add the dashi granulates to the water and stir to combine.
Add the miso paste to a small strainer and place it into the pot and submerge the strainer in the liquid.

Set of two photos showing pasta worked into the liquid and seaweed added.

Stir the miso paste with chopsticks until it dissolves completely.
Add a handful of wakame to the pot and allow the soup to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every so often.

Set of two photos showing tofu added to the pot and an overhead view of the pot.

Add cut tofu to the soup and stir. Top with chopped green onions and serve!

Recipe Tips and Notes

Before putting the seaweed into the soup to simmer, I recommend you take a taste test to see if the miso soup is too salty or not salty enough for your liking. Depending on the miso you use, the flavor will vary. If it’s too salty, add more water and if it’s not flavorful enough, mix in more miso paste.
Make sure you are cooking the miso soup over a gentle simmer. Boiling miso soup over high heat will kill the probiotics in the miso paste. A gentle simmer is all you need!

Overhead view of miso soup with pieces of tofu floating.

Types of Miso Paste

There are a ton of miso pastes available, but there are the ones you’re likely to find in general grocery stores:

White Miso: white miso paste is the mildest and sweetest miso as it is fermented for a shorter time and is lower in salt than darker varieties. The color can range from white to light beige.
Yellow Miso: yellow miso is like the middle ground between white and red miso. You get the sweetness of the white miso paste combined with the smokiness and saltiness of the red miso paste. It can be yellow to light brown in color.
Red Miso: red miso has a long fermentation period as it has a strong nutty and salty flavor, and is packed with umami. It also contains the highest levels of protein of all types of miso. It can range in color from red to dark brown.

Storage Tips

Miso soup is best enjoyed immediately. However, if you have leftovers, allow it to cool before you store it. Once cooled, transfer leftovers to an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Reheat the soup gently over low heat until warm.
Miso should be stored in the fridge.

Miso Soup

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Ingredients

6 cups water
1½ teaspoons hondashi
5 tablespoons miso paste, (white or yellow)
1 handful wakame, (dried seaweed)
10 oz soft tofu, cut into cubes (300g)

Instructions

In a pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil before lowering the heat to a low and gentle simmer. Add the dashi granulates to the water and stir to combine.
Add the miso paste to a small strainer and submerge the strainer in the liquid. Stir the miso paste with chopsticks until it dissolves completely.
Add a handful of wakame to the pot and allow the soup to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
Add cut tofu to the soup and stir. Top with chopped green onions and serve!

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition Disclaimer

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