Here's how to make miso soup (with mushrooms and spinach, if you like) quickly and easily at home. It's nutritious, soul-warming comfort food at its best.
Why we love this recipe
Miso soup deserves a place in every umami-lover's repertoire. It’s a wholesome, holistic take on comfort, one that soothes both with its deep, rich flavors and with its obvious nutritive benefits. The process is very simple, and the results are very good.
Our version begins by hewing reasonably closely to tradition, by:
- Starting with a basic dashi, a simple broth of simmered kombu (an umami superstar among dried sea vegetables) and dried bonito flakes
- Adding a heaping spoonful of miso paste, some diced silken tofu, and sliced scallions
After that, you can decide whether to keep it simple or add ingredients to your heart's content. I often add mushrooms and swap in baby spinach for the traditional wakame, so that's what I've shared here. But you can add other starches, proteins, and vegetables too. Refer to the FAQ section below for guidance.
I first published this recipe here way back in 2010. I've updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you'll need
Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. You can buy them all at a local Asian grocery if you have one nearby, at Whole Foods, or through the Amazon affiliate links below.
- Kombu is kelp, a type of seaweed. It's jam-packed with umami and helps create a savory base for your miso soup. It comes dried and lasts for a long time. Buy it here.
- Bonito flakes are dried, smoked skipjack tuna. They impart a deep, smoky savoriness to miso soup. Buy them here.
- White miso paste is made from fermented soybeans. It has a salty, sweet, and savory vibe and is among the most mellow of the miso varieties. Buy it here.
- Silken tofu has a tender, more fragile texture than its "regular" counterpart. I like to use firm silken tofu since it's reasonably easy to dice without having it all apart. Buy it here.
How to make it
Here's what you'll do to make a comforting, nourishing pot of miso soup (with mushrooms and spinach, if you like). You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First, you'll make the dashi — a clear, umami-powerhouse broth. Place the kombu and water into a pot, bring to a simmer but not a full boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Off the heat, add the bonito flakes and steep for 10 minutes, then strain.
- Mix a bit of the hot dashi with the miso paste until smooth.
- Pour the rest of the dashi back into a clean pot. Add tofu, mushrooms, and spinach, and warm through. Off the heat, stir in the miso and scallions. That's it!
Expert tips and FAQs
Yes! The only ingredient you'll need to change is the bonito flakes. Leave them out, and instead add five whole dried shiitake mushrooms in the first step along with the kombu and water. Strain them out before serving. Some people like to slice dried shiitakes and eat them, but I find them too rubbery. You're welcome to add them to the final soup if you like.
This soup is very versatile. You can add a wide variety of vegetables, from thinly sliced bell pepper to snow or snap peas to shredded cabbage and beyond. You can add protein, from shrimp to cooked shredded chicken. And you can add cooked rice, ramen noodles, or rice noodles.
Starchy ingredients and longer-cooking proteins should be cooked before adding. Vegetables and flash-cooking proteins like shrimp can be added raw along with the mushrooms and simmered for a few minutes, just until done.
You can definitely make the dashi up to a few days in advance and store it in the fridge.
If you make the whole soup in advance, it will keep just fine for a few days, but make sure to reheat it gently, without boiling, so you won't lose the nutritive benefits of the miso. (Miso contains live, active cultures that won't survive very high temperatures — though it will still taste fabulous.)
Leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving.
Creator spotlight
As an umami devotee, I love cooking and sharing Japanese-inspired dishes with you. But I also want to yield the spotlight to creators with Japanese heritage. In the past couple of years I've been enjoying the work of Sara Kiyo Popowa at Shiso Delicious and Namiko Hirasawa Chen at Just One Cookbook. If you don't know their work already, please check it out. I think you'll love it too.
More favorite Japanese-inspired recipes
- Vegetarian ramen with rich, savory broth
- Spicy salmon roll
- Sushi rice
- Charred shishito peppers
- Spicy mayo
- Ramen eggs
- Chili-salted edamame
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Miso Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach
Miso soup is easy and rewarding to make at home. You'll start by making dashi, the world's easiest broth. Then you'll strain it into a clean pot, add a few stellar ingredients, and have a nourishing, comforting bowl of miso soup in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 5-inch-square piece kombu
- 8 cups (1900 ml) cold water
- 1 cup (5 grams) bonito flakes
- ¼ cup (60 grams) white (shiro) miso
- 8 ounces (277 grams) button mushrooms, sliced
- 12 ounces (350 grams) firm or extra-firm silken tofu, diced
- 3 ounces (85 grams) baby spinach
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
Instructions
Make the dashi
- Place the kombu into a medium-sized pot. You don’t need to rinse it, even if the package says you do. Pour in the water.
- Bring the water to a fairly brisk simmer, but not a full boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer very gently for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Let steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot.
Make the miso soup
- Return strained broth to a low simmer. Ladle out about a half cup of the broth into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste until smooth. Set aside for a moment.
- Add mushrooms and simmer until cooked to your liking, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tofu and the spinach and simmer for. a minute or so, until the spinach wilts.
- Off the heat, pour the miso mixture and the scallions into the pot and stir to combine.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Kombu is kelp, a type of seaweed. It's jam-packed with umami and helps create a savory base for your miso soup. It comes dried and lasts for a long time.
- Bonito flakes are dried, smoked skipjack tuna. They impart a deep, smoky savoriness to miso soup.
- White miso paste is made from fermented soybeans. It has a salty, sweet, and savory vibe and is among the most mellow of the miso varieties.
- Silken tofu has a tender, more fragile texture than its "regular" counterpart. I like to use firm silken tofu since it's reasonably easy to dice without having it all apart.
- Truth be told, I like to. sauté the sliced mushrooms in a little bit of butter or oil before adding them to the soup, rather than letting them cook in the broth. But either way is fine.
- Vegan miso soup variation: Omit the bonito flakes, and instead add five whole dried shiitake mushrooms in the first step along with the kombu and water. Strain them out before serving. Some people like to slice dried shiitakes and eat them, but I find them too rubbery. You're welcome to add them to the final soup if you like.
- You can make the dashi up to a few days in advance and store it in the fridge. If you make the whole soup in advance, it will keep just fine for a few days, but make sure to reheat it gently, without boiling, so you won't lose the nutritive benefits of the miso. (Miso contains live, active cultures that won't survive very high temperatures — though it will still taste fabulous.)
- Leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving.
I first published this recipe here way back in 2010. I've updated the post and recipe for clarity, but in essence it remains the same.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Total Fat: 2.5gCarbohydrates: 5.4gFiber: 1.1gProtein: 4.8g
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Henry says
Carolyn, love your "brief" to all of us....
I think it interesting the apparent connection between the law and food - could it be the comonality of the torts? My son in law graduated from St Johns, majoring in history and Eng Lit, then planned to go the CIA and ultimately write about food - he's quite amazing in both arenas.
Funny thing though, a few years post grad, he decided to bail on all those plans, enrolled at Touro full time, with an infant and one on the way, and came out the other side another member of the bar.
Interesting pattern, I just may have to ask my daughter, as sr majoring in lit and anthropology, and just threw on the poly sci minor for good measure this year....what this may all say about a new emerging culture.
Most of my lawyer friends, and it's scary how many I have, are mostly also musicians, hmm.... but they're all my age, so maybe it's a generational thing.
AND.................we are all like defendants here, awaiting a decision from our very own ALJ in the matter of The Pot!
Carolyn says
Thanks for all the great comments, everyone!
Alison, I've noticed the same thing. The law-to-writing progression seems natural, but I've often wondered why the connection between law and cooking. It's not just bloggers. Jeffrey Steingarten is a Harvard Law grad, Warren Brown (of Cake Love and Sugar Rush) was a lawyer, and several of the lawyers and staff at my former firm were former chefs, FCI grads, etc. (so the door swings both ways). Sorry you're hating NYU. Feel free to email me if you want to talk.
Henry, those photos are amazing. I've been wanting to try foraging for a few years but haven't made it yet. Maybe this year!
Caroline, bonito flakes are definitely worth the trouble. I don't see a problem with eating the kombu, though, other than possibly passing out from joy. That could cut into your evening I guess.
Anu, I love garlic soup but have never tried Julia's. Richard Olney's recipe, which I found on 101 Cookbooks, is excellent, but there is—alas—no final liaison.
Jackie, thank you, you're so sweet. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
Erica, I love Jerusalem artichokes and will try not to hold it against you that your farm is already giving you anything at all. Expect a recipe!
Stephen, that is a lovely story. I seriously hope you are planning to write something more than legal briefs at some point soon. Oh, and I'd like to edit the manuscript, please.
Henry Doll says
c'mon....how do you compete with that one?
(little dubious of the sheep though)
OK, this is becoming too much fun, you should let this run for a while.... can we go in the direction of creative novella writtings?
Stephen Zaklukiewicz says
I for several months stayed at a friend's farmhouse in the west of Scotland near the Firth of Clyde in the early 90s. It was a wonderful place, windswept and wild. My host, a recent widow in her mid 60s, still ran the farm, rearing sheep for the weaver as well as the butcher. I had some experience farming and I was happy to offer my labor. Despite being weary from what seemed like endless toil, she would find the time to prepare incredibly simple meals at the end of each day. One that remains with me is a fresh lamb stew with barley, carrot and potato simmered on stovetop in a simple, timeless and dented copper pot. I would like to take a shot at preparing that meal, replete with stories of the Picts, King Andrew's Cross and Angus MacFergus, should I be so lucky to win your pot!
erica says
Tried your recipe in my old le creuset and it was awesome. But my food share keeps giving me Jerusalem artichokes, in case you need ideas for future posts! In terms of your pot, one could do worse than to make risotto from freshly picked wild mushrooms or else plantain soup.
Jessica Kemp says
Oh man - the first thing I would do is make a coq au vin. Holy cow - I would LOVE this pot.
Mike says
Hm. Depending on the size, two things come immediately to mind: polenta, and chicken-in-a-pot (or "poule en cocotte", if you're feeling French and fancy). Both are great classic comfort foods, the kind of thing that holds families together, and seems to befit a storied treasure like this.
Plus, if I do polenta? I love the challenge of cleaning pots, yessir... 😉
christina manzur says
Lovely post! I think I'd make a spanish lentil soup first...and your miso recipe second!
Joy says
I'll have a boeuf bourguignon showdown using Julia Child and Thomas Keller's recipes. I think it just seems fitting to cook something so close to my heart as an appreciation for this lovely pot.
Fuji Mama says
I'd probably make miso soup, because for starters, I'm always making miso soup, and because it just seems like a good idea for its new owner to carry on its history. Then I'd probably do a follow-up with some coconut rice pudding. Can't break in a new pot without dessert!
Gina Hyams says
I would work my way through Anna Thomas' "Love Soup" cookbook with this pot.
alice says
I made an okra stew for the first time recently. It was awesome, and gone way too fast, so I'm dying to try it again -- given the proper pot and some decent okra at the market! 😉
Nick Neville says
My Daughter is coming home from college for a visit in three weeks. I would make her favorite Fettuccine Alfredo with crawfish tails. Sometimes I eat red Miso paste right out of the container, its good.
Take Care
Daphne says
Carolyn - What a beautiful pot - and, yes, I hang my head in shame for the 3 plus copper pots that need to be "refurbished" that are sitting in between our baskets of recycling - they are neither freecycled or recycled - or even cycled - they are stuck - but perhaps you have inspired some fresh movement. See moving isn't such a bad idea 🙂
Vicki says
I'd probably make a potato leek soup. For some reason I always think of copper pots when making anything with leeks.
Amy says
What a great idea for a giveaway! I would want to make a hearty chili as a last shout-out to winter :).
Rona says
What a lovely and generous gesture. Chicken soup would probably be the first thing I'd make but would love to try your miso recipe as it sounds so simple and delicious. Good luck to everyone and thank you.
Jaz says
I would make my Popo's Jook.
Christine says
What a simple yet beautiful pot. How could you part with it? When I first skimmed the recipe the pot caught my eye, and when I read the post about the giveaway, I swooned just a little. I try to live simply (and you're right - there's nothing like a move to realize how much stuff you don't need!) but a pot like this would have a place of honor in my kitchen. I'd make a luscious cream of mushroom soup...
Oh, and I can't wait to make miso this week - I've actually been trolling for a miso soup recipe, and it's surprisingly hard to find one that uses the kombu and bonito. Thanks!
Kate NG Sommers says
Gosh, it's so beautiful. I'm usually the type that makes a thick soup but that pot calls for a nice clear broth. I'd probably take a stab at Italian wedding soup, which though I never had in Italy, was a favorite of mine growing up, and the idea of which still makes my mouth water. What a sweet and thoughtful giveaway!
Lynda says
What a beautiful pot, pleasing to the eye and inviting me to make my delicious carrot soup recipe. Thank you, Carolyn, for the sentimental giveaway!
Henry says
Btw... as for the pot, I'm thinking Cassoulet or Paella, since the covered, all copper vessel would be perfect for cooking dishes traditionally intened to be oven-cooked with as even a surrounding heat source as possible.
....can't wait!
Jackie says
It's so much fun to read your posts. Personality and wit really shine through.
I'm not sucking up; I know the pot winner will be chosen at random! 🙂
Although I would love to own this pot. I'm getting married this summer and fiancee is big on "we don't need any more possessions" so a culinary tools-filled wedding registry isn't appearing on my horizon. Not that that's a bad thing.
Anyway, 1st soup to make: definitely this miso soup. Have never made it before, and I can't begin to think why not! Actually, I can. All of the kombu-dashi-bonito talk scared me a little. But you make it sound super approachable. Thank you!
Beef Recipes says
Wow! This is absolutely gorgeous and well made.
Lindsay says
I made miso soup last week and my recipe is nearly identical to yours! So I would make a butternut squash soup black bean soup as my first batch in that beautiful pot.
Laurie says
So many ideas, but I would have to try your miso recipe. Not inventive on my part but probably very healing for my family
Beth G says
I would definitely make a batch of sweet potato soup in that gorgeous pot. I've been wanting to try it out for a while and this would give me a good reason :o)
Anu says
What a beautiful pot. I've never had a copper pot. I would make Julia's "Aigo Bouido" (Garlic Soup). Just got the book "the way to cook" from the library and I really want to try this soup. How can you resist a recipe that has "final liaison" as one of the steps in the ingredient list 🙂 Thank you for having the giveaway.
Caroline says
I would make this soup, of course! It's so much more elegant than my version, which involves eating the kombu and has never been organized enough to actually have bonito flakes.
slammie says
Hmmmm, hard to tell how big it is but I'm looking for a new pot to cook oxtails in....
Henry says
...Carolyn, you just crack me up lady!
I worship the schroom in all it's forms! ha.... My tribe of friends love hunting and gathering, but I'm the only shooter... so check out just a few of my finds:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/henrydoll/sets/72157623142005395/
...mostly taken in ME.
Have you ever had: trompette de la mort ? ...amazing how something so unappealing in appearance could taste so good!
Also, my folks met in their journalism class at NYU, after the 'big one'; dad saw her and said, "I'm going to marry that girl"; three dates later, they were engaged. Had their reception at T on the G - back in the day. Mom was 82 yesterday, and still a rock'n. So, some good came out NYU!
Sarah says
great post! 🙂
there are so many things that come to mind when i think about what i'd like to make using that lovely pot, but first, i'd probably try my hand at french onion soup - something i've been meaning to make at home for a long time now...
Elise says
I haven't made a batch of Beef Bourguignon in years, and I mean YEARS, so that's the first recipe I'd make using that wonderful pot.
Thanks for a great (as usual) post.
maggie says
I think we're not going to move just to avoid that emptying-out-the-closet thing.
Jill says
Fantastic post, "Lady from Freecycle!" LOVE Miso soup, but have never attempted to make my own... I just may need to try...
Alison says
I try my very first attempt at home-made pho... something that has been on my to-cook list, but never risen to the top.
Also is it just me, or are there a lot of dissatisfied law school grads who have cooking blogs? (I noticed you graduated from Columbia, Amateur Gourmet went to Emory Law and this my second year currently hating NYU.