Miso Soup

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If you’ve been following my recipes for a while, you’ll know I love quick, flavour-packed dishes and miso soup is exactly that. It’s one of those recipes that proves how a few simple ingredients can turn into something incredibly tasty.

A good miso soup isn’t complicated. It’s just about balance. Salty, savoury miso paste mixed with a light Japanese dashi broth, a few classic toppings and you’ve got a bowl of miso soup that tastes just as good as any restaurant serves And the brilliant thing is: once you nail the basics, you can tweak it however you like.

All is explained below!

Miso soup garnished with Japanese chilli flakes.

What Is Miso Soup?

Miso soup (misoshiru) is one of the most iconic dishes in Japanese cuisine. It’s eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner and like good British tea, no two people make it exactly the same way.

At its core, miso soup is made from two things:

Dashi – a light broth made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes).
Miso Paste – fermented soybean paste that gives the soup its savoury (umami) flavour.

From there, it often includes tofu, seaweed, spring onions, mushrooms or seasonal vegetables. It can also be served spicy! My favourite way to serve miso soup.

A Quick History of Miso Soup

Miso, the paste that flavours the soup, has been part of Japanese cuisine for over 1,300 years. It originated from ancient Chinese fermented bean pastes and made its way to Japan around the 7th century. Miso soup has become a staple because it was easy to make and packed with nutrition.

Fun fact… Way back when, miso was so valuable that people used it as currency. Today, it’s one of the most important seasonings in Japanese cooking. And the soup itself? It appears on nearly every Japanese dinner table, whether at home or in a high-end restaurant.

The brilliance of miso soup is its flexibility — different regions use different types of miso and mix-ins, and every family has their own version.

Ingredients

There aren't a lot of ingredients in an authentic miso soup. You can always add ingredients as explained below though. Get everything ready before you start cooking. This is a quick and easy one. You will find the ingredient measures in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.

See recipe card for quantities.

Kombu
Water
Bonito flakes
Miso paste (white miso is mild; red miso is stronger)
Soft tofu
Dried wakame seaweed
Spring onions (Scallions)

Step by step photos

Check out my step by step photos to see for yourself just how easy it is to make this classic miso soup recipe.

Step 1: Add the kombu to water in a saucepan. Heat gently until just below boiling. You’ll see tiny bubbles forming. Don’t boil the kombu. It turns bitter.

The bonito flakes at the bottom of the pan.

Step 2: Remove the kombu. Add the bonito flakes and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the flakes settle at the bottom. Strain the liquid.

The clear broth ready for adding the remaining miso ingredients.

Step 3: You now have a beautiful clear broth.

Step 4: I advise soaking the wakame seaweed in a little water to rehydrate.

Adding the seaweed and silken tofu to the broth.

Step 5: Bring the dashi back to a gentle simmer and add the tofu cubes and wakame seaweed. These only need a minute or two to heat through.

Whisking the miso paste with a little water until smooth.

Step 6: Place the miso paste in a small bowl. Ladle in a bit of the hot broth and whisk until smooth.Turn off the heat before adding the miso. Pour it back into the pot and stir gently. It is important not to boil the miso as it dulls its flavour.

Step 7: Taste and adjust. Add more miso for a stronger flavour but be sure to whisk it with a little hot broth until smooth before adding it. I like a bit of a kick and added some chilli flakes to mine.

Popular Variations

One of the fun things about miso soup is how easy it is to customise. Here are classic variations you’ll see in Japan. Be sure to check back because I’ll be cooking up my versions of each and sharing the recipes here.

1. Mushroom Miso Soup: With shiitake, enoki or oyster mushrooms for a deep umami boost.

2. Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Miso Soup: Slightly sweet vegetables that pair beautifully with salty miso.

3. Clam Miso Soup: Common on the coast — clams cooked directly in the dashi.

4. Pork & Veg Miso Soup (Tonjiru): A hearty, warming soup with pork belly, carrot, potato, daikon, and leek.

5. Egg Miso Soup: A beaten egg stirred in at the end for extra richness (don’t boil!).

6. Spicy Miso Soup: Add a spoonful of chilli paste or chilli oil for a kick.

7. Spinach, cabbage or pak choi: Great for adding greens.

Useful Equipment

1. Fine Mesh Strainer: Essential for removing bonito flakes.

2. Small Saucepan: A 1–2 litre pan is perfect for making dashi.

3. Small Whisk or Chopsticks: To dissolve the miso paste smoothly.

4. Ladle: For stirring, tasting and serving.

5. Heatproof Bowl: To loosen the miso paste before mixing it back into the pot.

Storage and Reheating

Storing:
Miso soup tastes best fresh, but leftovers keep well for 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. If you’re making it ahead, store the dashi and miso separately. The broth keeps 3–4 days and adding the miso fresh gives the best flavour. Avoid freezing the finished soup; freeze dashi only for up to 2 months.

Reheating:
Reheat gently on the hob over low–medium heat and never boil once the miso is added. If you stored the dashi separately, heat it first, add tofu or veg, then stir in the miso off the heat. For the microwave, warm in short bursts, stirring between each one and stop as soon as it’s hot but not boiling.

Top Tip

Don’t Boil the Miso: Heat kills the delicate flavour. Add it after turning off the heat.

FAQ

Can you make miso soup without kombu and bonito flakes?

Yes. You can use instant dashi or even vegetable broth, but it won’t taste exactly like the traditional version.

Hoe can you make vegetarian or vegan miso soup?

Use kombu-only dashi (called kombu dashi) and skip the bonito flakes.

Is miso soup healthy?

Yes. Miso is high in protein and probiotics and dashi is low in fat and calories.

Can you add noodles?

Absolutely. Udon, soba and rice noodles all work well for a more filling bowl.

Why is my miso soup grainy?

You may not have fully dissolved the miso before adding it. Whisk it first in a ladle or bowl.

Looking for a main course dish to enjoy with your miso soup? Try these:

Try something new…

Soups are great comfort food. Try one of these:

Have you tried this miso soup recipe?

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Yield: 4

Miso Soup Recipe

You might be surprised at how easy it is to make authentic miso soup at home. This restaurant quality soup can be made in minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE DASHI
1 piece kombu (about 10cm long)
1 litre (4 cups) water
15–20g bonito flakes (a good handful)
FOR THE SOUP
3–4 tbsp miso paste (white miso is mild; red miso is stronger)
150g soft tofu, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp dried wakame seaweed (rehydrated in water if needed)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Add the kombu to water in a saucepan. Heat gently until just below boiling. You’ll see tiny bubbles forming. Don’t boil the kombu! It turns bitter.
Remove the kombu. Add the bonito flakes and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the flakes settle at the bottom.
Strain the liquid. You now have a beautiful clear broth.
Bring the dashi back to a gentle simmer and add the tofu cubes and wakame seaweed. These only need a minute or two to heat through.
Turn off the heat. Then place the miso paste in a small bowl. Ladle in a bit of the hot broth and whisk until smooth. Pour it back into the pot and stir gently. Do not let the miso come to a boil in the saucepan! Boiling miso can dull its flavour.
Taste and adjust. You can add more miso for a stronger flavour but be sure to whisk it with some broth until smooth before adding or you couod find your miso soup a bit grainy.