Never in a million years would I believe that this traditional midwestern ‘meat n potato’ guy would enjoy a bowl of Savory Miso Soup.
Nope – never. In fact before tonight, I have never had it. Kimchi either.
But thanks to my Sushi loving daughter – who happened to have just been released from the hospital from a bad flareup of Crohn’s – I decided to try it.
Hey why not? It’s good for you.
Not only is the seaweed full of protein, iron, and fiber, the miso is a fermented food, meaning it’s chock full of beneficial probiotics that help increase the good bacteria in our gut. Everything my ailing daughter needed, all in one bowl.
Perfect.
Savory Miso Soup
Now before you go harping on me for not having the right kind of bowl and spoon to serve Miso Soup, I hear you. In fact I already have my eye on this set of traditional bowls and spoons from Amazon. They look nice and would be perfect for this Miso or my Hot and Sour Soup.
And I really like those spoons!
This soup is so easy to make it’s ridiculous. Basically it’s just 7 ingredients.
Water
Miso
Seaweed
Tofu
Spinach
Mushrooms
Green Onion
Traditionally, the Japanese use Wakame Seaweed for flavoring Miso Soup – but if you can’t find it Nori works fine too. Nori is those sheets of dried seaweed used in making Sushi Rolls. Most grocery stores should carry them. If not you may have to find a local Asian Grocery – they’ll have everything you need.
I made this last night with some white rice and Kimchi as side dishes, and even my non-sushi loving wife devoured it. Now honestly, like I said I have never even tried Miso Soup before, so I was no judge as to whether this soup was any good or not.
My daughter on the other hand is our family’s sushi expert. And her first words after taking a taste….
Mmmmmm. This is SO good.
I think I made points
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 4 servings
- 4 cups water
- 4 Tbsp white miso paste
- 1 sheet nori dried seaweed
- ¼ block extra firm tofu
- 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- Drain and press tofu - cut into small squares
- Using a medium sized soup pan, bring water to a slow simmer
- Cut Nori into 8 or more squares and add to water, simmer for 5 minutes
- Add tofu, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and spices and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.
- Place miso paste into a small bowl and add just enough hot water to whisk it smooth
- Add miso to soup and simmer for another minute or so.
- Add extra spice if needed
