Easiest Homemade Instant Miso Soup
Ever.
I’m going to do the recipe writer thing here and blab a bit so if you just want my instant miso soup recipe, you can scroll past to the bottom of the post.
I love miso soup. The first time I ever tried it was in my 3rd grade class when we did a social studies unit on Japan. We made kimonos out of bed sheets and got to try california rolls and a condiment-sized cup of miso soup. If I remember correctly, I was one of the few who actually liked it. Fast forward many years later, and it’s one of my go-tos when I want a hot mug of something to warm me up.
Miso is a fermented paste made out of soybeans (and/or sometimes other legumes—one of my favorite Miso makers, South River Miso makes chickpea and adzuki bean miso pastes! Great for people with soy allergies who want to enjoy it and reap the benefits.) It is a probiotic food, so it’s great for nurturing a good and diverse gut microbiome, and I find a bowl or mug of miso soup is clutch when I’m in need of immune support, too. The main ingredients of miso soup are naturally rich in minerals like iodine, calcium, and more.
At least in states, at most Japanese restaurants, you’ll find very simple miso soups on the menu. The typical, basic ingredients include wakame seaweed and soft tofu. However, there are soooo many ways to make and enjoy miso soup! I’m linking below an Instagram page of a Japanese creator that I love who posts her daily miso soup as part of her breakfast―it’s always different. She’s my miso soup inspiration.
Miso soup is typically made with a dashi stock, simmering kombu seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, and optional bonito flakes (tuna) or sometimes, dried anchovies to make a soup base. After the stock is made, strained, and any other ingredients are prepared, you then sieve in your miso paste of choice after the pot of stock is no longer boiling. This is important to do as you don’t want to kill the beneficial probiotics in too hot at boiling temperatures.
You can see a video of how to make dashi here. While dashi is fairly simple to make (and store later for other uses), sometimes you don’t have the time or patience for even that. At some point over this past year I started making my own “instant” miso soup that wasn’t just me pouring hot water over a packet of bland, dehydrated “miso soup.” This is great for me as I used to make small saucepans of miso soup and still almost never get to the leftover soup once it was in my fridge. Yay for no leftovers!
Here’s how I make it. Like in the examples I shared from Instagram, I highly encourage you to add your own fixings and adapt the recipe as you see fit.
〰
Kendyl’s Instant Miso Soup Recipe
What you’ll need
1/2 tbsp fresh or dried sliced scallions (whites and greens, skip whites if you follow a low FODMAP diet)
1 good splash of fish sauce, adjust to taste (I use Red Boat brand, you can also sub soy sauce or skip, but this adds in the flavor and a bit of trace mineral content that bonito flakes or anchovies add to traditional dashi stock)
1-2 sliced shiitake mushrooms and/or other mushrooms of your choice―shiitakes are wonderful for the immune system
1 tsp–1/2 tbsp of dried wakame seaweed, you can find packs of this at Whole Foods. (I also like to add dulse seaweed as it’s a great detoxification binder)
8-12 oz hot (not boiling) water or fish/chicken/beef stock or bone broth, for extra protein and nutritional benefits
1 tsp of your favorite miso paste (I use Miso Master Organic Mellow White Miso as my everyday miso, but I implore you to get adventurous and try some other kinds, too! I like South River Miso’s miso pastes, too)
your favorite mug and a tea strainer or small sieve
Making it
Add scallions, fish sauce, mushrooms, and seaweeds to your favorite mug. Pour over hot water or add fresh filtered water or broth and heat mug in microwave. Use a small sieve or tea strainer to mix miso paste into soup base to avoid clumps and ensure the miso is evenly incorporated.
That’s it. So easy.
Let me know if you try it, and definitely let me know if you make any alterations or adaptations. I’m always looking for ways to up my miso soup game.
〰
Yours in nourishment,
Liked what you saw here? Follow garlic and dyl on Instagram for more holistic wellness.