Name: Homemade Miso Soup with Tofu Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (⅓ oz, 10 g; approx. 4 x 4 inches or 10 x 10 cm); 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (loosely packed 3 cups for stronger flavor); 7 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu); 4 Tbsp miso (use 1 Tbsp or 18 g per 1 cup/240 ml dashi); 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed; 1 green onion/scallion

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Introduction

Homemade miso soup with tofu is a comforting and flavorful Japanese staple that you can easily make from scratch. This recipe walks you through making traditional dashi broth and blending it with soft tofu and miso for a warm, umami-rich soup. Perfect for a light meal or a soothing start to any dinner.

A red bowl filled with clear, light brown broth with visible small cubes of off-white tofu, dark green seaweed pieces, and thin green onion slices floating on top, sitting on a wooden plate with a pair of red, patterned chopsticks beside it, all set on a white marbled surface. Another bowl with a similar soup is partially visible in the top left corner. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

4 cups water
1 piece kombu (dried kelp), about ⅓ oz (10 g), 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), loosely packed (about 3 cups for stronger flavor)
7 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu)
4 Tbsp miso (approximately 1 Tbsp or 18 g per cup of dashi)
1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
1 green onion/scallion

Instructions

Step 1: Add 4 cups water and the kombu to a medium saucepan. If possible, soak the kombu for 30 minutes without washing it or removing the white substance, which holds umami flavor.
Step 2: Slowly heat the water over medium-low heat until just before boiling (about 10 minutes). Remove the kombu before the water boils to prevent bitterness.
Step 3: For non-vegetarian dashi, add the katsuobushi to the hot water and bring it to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Step 4: Let the bonito flakes sink for 10 minutes, then strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. This is your Awase Dashi.
Step 5: Chop the green onion into thin rounds.
Step 6: Pour the dashi back into the saucepan and gently reheat without boiling, around 205°F (96°C), then turn off the heat.
Step 7: Dissolve the miso in a ladle by slowly adding dashi and stirring with chopsticks or a miso muddler until fully dissolved.
Step 8: Cut the tofu into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes and gently add to the miso soup after the miso is fully dissolved to avoid breaking the tofu.
Step 9: Add the dried wakame and chopped green onions to the soup just before serving to preserve flavor and color. If concerned about salt, rehydrate wakame separately before adding.
Step 10: Serve immediately, ideally on the right side of the table setting for authenticity.

Tips & Variations

For a quicker version, use store-bought dashi packets or powder instead of making dashi from scratch.
Vegetarians can skip the bonito flakes and use kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms to make vegan dashi.
Avoid boiling miso soup after adding miso to preserve its aroma and flavor.
Rehydrate dried wakame in plain water before adding if you want to reduce saltiness.
If freezing miso soup, remove tofu first to prevent texture changes, and add miso only when reheating.

Storage

Miso soup is best enjoyed fresh, but you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days after cooling to room temperature (up to 4 hours). For longer storage, keep the soup without miso in the fridge or freezer. Add the miso only when serving. Frozen miso soup lasts up to 2 weeks, but remove tofu before freezing as the texture will change. When reheating, warm gently and avoid boiling.

How to Serve

The image shows a bowl with light brown broth that is slightly cloudy, containing soft white tofu cubes scattered evenly through the soup. Floating in the broth are dark green seaweed pieces and thin light green slices of green onion, adding texture and color contrast. The bowl itself is white with a red exterior and black rim, sitting on a light wooden round tray with visible wood grain. On the tray next to the bowl, there is a small bright red flower-shaped ornament and a pair of dark brown chopsticks resting on a white napkin. The background is a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make miso soup without bonito flakes?

Yes, you can make a vegetarian or vegan version using kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms for dashi instead of bonito flakes.

Why shouldn’t I boil the miso soup after adding miso?

Boiling miso soup destroys the delicate flavors and nutrients in miso, causing it to lose its aroma and subtle taste. It’s best to warm the soup gently after adding miso.