It's better taste with tofu, for healthy! And we, japanese cook miso soup with various vesitables, for example, tofu & onion,spinach, or taro & carrot. From Yuko in Japan
Honest - this is the real thing. The secret is the Dashi granules. I'm a teacher and had a Japanese student bring me the box his mom used to make their miso soup. Had to go to a Japanese market to get it - but it was worth it. They do sell miso with dashi flavoring - which I used. I used soft tofu, and added some sliced ginger while heating the soup. It was just like my local restaurant - and I'm so glad I can make it cheaper than the $1.50 they charge for a small bowl. Will fix it often! Miso is supposed to be very healthy. High sodium, though. The market sold low-sodium miso - may try that when I'm out of the current one.
Really great miso soup! We had enjoyed a delicious miso soup at a Sushi restaurant in Cleveland,OH and I was trying to come close to that. We actually thought this one was better. I used a red miso paste, firm tofu, green onions, and 4 thinly sliced Shitake mushrooms. Will be making this often... Oh, I bought the miso paste and dashi from Asiangrocer.com since our small town grocery stores don't carry these items.
I suggest using firm tofu (it is easier to handle) and letting it drain first. Cut it in half and let it sit on some paper towels for a bit before you use it. This allows the tofu to better absorb the flavor of the broth.
This recipe can be easily adapted to whatever's in season, or in the fridge. If you're a potato lover, a simple but very comforting potato version - in the quantity of dashi given here simmer thinly sliced wedges of potato (approximatly 2 medium potatoes, sliced 3 mm thick or so) and sliced onion (one small onion, cut in half vertically, and then into thin slices, again vertically). Simmer until tender, and then add miso just before turning off heat. Carrot, daikon, long onion (negi), spinach (add a minute or so before adding the miso) are other winter possiblities - add in any combination you prefer. I often add thinly sliced deep-fried tofu (abura-age in Japanese) to my winter miso soup - a common staple here in Japan, but perhaps not so readily available elsewhere.
This was a big hit! I could not find dashi anywhere, so substituted fish bouillon. I added fresh spinach and prawns before the tofu to make it a meal.
I have a Japanese neighbor and she stated that you cannot just wisk in the miso, you need to put the miso in a very fine strainer, put the strainer half way in the water and press miso thru with a spoon. Miso has some left over bits and pieces that for some reason does not ever melt. This is supposed to be disposed of. The second time I did as my neighbor stated and it turned out better. She also gave me some bamboo roots to put in it. I also added tofu.
I grew up eating miso soup made various ways. This is a good basic miso soup. I always use Shiro Miso, which is a white miso (less salty) than the Aka Miso, red miso paste. Some people also like to mix both for more bolder flavor. To whisk in the miso paste, I normally hold two spoons, with the miso paste in the first spoon and using the other spoon to mash the paste into the water. The dashi I use has no MSG and since I was only serving two people I scaled this amonunt down quite a bit. I don't use silken tofu but medium firm which is a personal choice. I garnished the soup with thinly minced green onions (see my picture). Miso soup doesn't take me too long to make. There are so many vegetables you can add in miso soup such as shiitake mushroom, daikon, other mushrooms, leafy greens, etc. This was a warm and satisfying soup that paired perfectly with, "Japanese Deep Fried Shrimp," "Japanese Shrimp Sauce I," "Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans,"and "Cucumber Sunomono," all from this website. I drank every last drop of miso soup!
This had a nice taste but the silken tofu I used was too soft. I suggest a firm tofu. I also used a dashi that was MSG free. I think that is why it needed some salt for me. A really easy and quick recipe.
I would have given this more stars if it had seaweed in the recipe, and if it had more miso. We added the amount listed but it was bland. Next time we will put in more miso and it should be fine. We did add seaweed- just be sure you soak dried seaweed in water before you add it, or it will suck up all the water from your soup. Thank you for the recipe though, we will try it again.
