Meal prep Homemade Instant Miso Soup ahead of time and take it to your office or school! It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and you can enjoy miso soup instantly at any time.
For many Japanese, a bowl of delicious miso soup is a daily necessity for the soul. Today I want to introduce Homemade Instant Miso Soup (即席味噌汁) for those who love miso soup.
Traditional Way of Making Miso Soup
You most likely have cooked miso soup before, but just in case you haven’t, the process is pretty simple:
- Make dashi (Japanese soup stock). I have a detailed dashi guide, explaining different types of dashi and how to make them. Unlike chicken or beef stock, Japanese dashi is SUPER easy to make and takes just 15-20 min total from scratch.
- Add ingredients of your choice such as tofu, wakame seaweed, etc.
- Add miso.
That’s it. And here are some of popular miso soup recipes on Just One Cookbook.
- Miso Soup (4 kinds) [with video]
- Vegan Miso Soup
- Vegetable Miso Soup
But what if you don’t have 20 minutes to make homemade dashi? How about the time you wish to drink miso soup outside of the home at the office or school? And what if you want to drink miso soup right now? Enter Instant Miso Soup.
Make Instant Miso Soup at Home
My Instant Miso Soup is the solution for those of you who are too busy and always on the go but still crave the warm comforting soup to soothe the soul.
Let’s go over 4 things you need for making Homemade Instant Miso Soup.
1. Containers
When I was looking for an efficient way to make individual miso soup packages, I figured that mason jars would work the best to serve as the portable single-serving container. It’s convenient and environmentally friendly.
I chose a 1-pint (2 cups/473 ml) mason jar as the Instant Miso Soup container because you will have plenty of space on top to hold the jar safely when hot water fills up to half of the jar. It also provides extra room if you want to add more ingredients.
To cap the jars, you can purchase these plastic caps for easy storage and cleanup.
2. Dashi – Japanese Soup Stock
It’s not a true miso soup unless you use dashi. And please do not consider substituting with vegetable or chicken stock. If you are vegetarian/vegan, your dashi option is Kombu Dashi.
Realistically, to make dashi instantly, we have two choices.
- Use dashi powder (buy at Japanese grocery stores or on Amazon). You can find kombu dashi powder as well. One thing to note, I always use additive-free or msg-free dashi powder. If you are sensitive to MSG please check the dashi powder ingredients before purchasing.
- Use miso that already includes dashi (see next).
3. Miso
The great thing about miso is that you can consume it straight out of the tub/package. It’s quite salty by itself, but you don’t need to cook it.
For homemade instant miso soup, using miso that already contains dashi, such as “Maru-Yu” Dashi Iri Yuki Miso (Organic) from Hikari Miso above, becomes extremely handy.
If you can’t find miso with dashi in it, simply use your favorite kind of miso and add dashi powder that I mentioned.
I’ve been partnering with Hikari Miso® monthly to share various miso recipes on Just One Cookbook. Personally, I’ve been using their miso for over a decade (I discovered the brand after I got married), and it’s been fun trying out varieties of their amazing miso. Depending on the availability at your grocery store, there are all different types of miso from Hikari Miso (Learn about types of miso here).
Miso-to-Water Ratio in Miso Soup
If you have used different brands and types of miso in the past, you know each miso tastes pretty different. As I explained in my Homemade Miso recipe/post, the amount of salt used for each miso varies. Hence, you have to adjust the amount of miso depending on the brand/type of miso and your own preference.
In Japan, the general rule of thumb for miso to water ratio is 1 Tbsp miso to 200 ml water. The typical size of the miso soup bowl contains about 200 ml liquid. When you buy a new tub of miso, taste a tiny bit and see how the new miso taste compared to the previous one.
And finally, the last thing you need for Homemade Instant Miso Soup…
4. Miso Soup Ingredients
For today’s recipe, my focus was to store the Instant Miso Soup in the refrigerator as long as possible, at least enough to last the whole week. Therefore, keeping the ingredients dry was the most important factor. My miso soup ingredients include:
- Aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- Green onion/scallion
- Dried wakame seaweed
I chose relatively dry/drier ingredients so that ingredients won’t go bad in the refrigerator. The goal is to make Homemade Instant Miso Soup accessible, and ideally, you don’t have to prepare them too frequently.
However, if you plan to consume your Homemade Instant Miso Soup in 1-2 days, you can add:
- Tofu
- Blanched greens (spinach, snap peas, bok choy, edamame, etc)
- Mushrooms
- Or any raw ingredients that go well with miso soup
What’s your favorite miso soup ingredients?
Store-bought vs. Homemade Instant Miso Soup
Lastly, I also want to mention that you can purchase Instant Miso Soup packages at Japanese and Asian grocery stores. I’ve tried different brands in the past (my lazy cooking days in college) but I can truly say I like the ones from Hikari Miso most (Amazon sells this less-salt one). Their miso is really good, maybe that’s why.
In any case, I still recommend making your own homemade instant miso soup. The main advantage of homemade soup is that it’s MSG/additive-free, you can use your favorite miso, and it’s totally customizable!
Homemade Instant Miso Soup On-the-Go
Take your homemade instant miso soup to your work or school. All you need is hot water. My kids grab them and make their own instant miso soup for breakfast (my babies have grown up!).
As I work from home, I usually take one for a mid-morning snack (after drinking Japanese Iced Coffee Mr. JOC makes every morning) to avoid snacking. Miso soup is so comforting and I hope you enjoy Homemade Instant Miso Soup any time of the day!
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Homemade Instant Miso Soup
Ingredients
For the Instant Soup Ingredients
- 1 aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- 2 green onions/scallions
- 2½ tsp dried wakame seaweed
- 5 Tbsp miso (with or without dashi)
- 2½ tsp dashi powder (skip if your miso has dashi in it)
To Make the Miso Soup
- 200 ml boiling water (per serving)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. If you use miso which contains dashi in it, skip the dashi powder. If your miso doesn’t contain dashi, then you will need to prepare the dashi powder. The one I use in this recipe is MSG-free/additive-free. You can purchase a similar one on Amazon or Japanese grocery stores.
- Boil roughly 2 cups (460 ml) water and pour over both sides of 1 aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch). The hot water help remove some of the oil from the production process. Once it’s cool to the touch, squeeze tightly or pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cut in half lengthwise and cut into thin strips widthwise.
- Cut 2 green onions/scallions in half and cut into thin rounds. Pat dry the chopped green onions with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
To Assemble
- Prepare 5 mason jars and caps.
- If you are using miso without dashi: Scoop 1 Tbsp miso and add to each jar. Then add ½ tsp dashi powder to each jar.
- If you are using miso with dashi: Scoop 1 Tbsp miso and add to each jar.
- Divide the aburaage strips and green onion and add to the 5 jars.
- Add ½ tsp dried wakame seaweed to each jar. Close the lid.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. If you make them on a Sunday, consume by Friday.
- Pack in the insulated lunch box and you’re ready to go! I usually drink one of these in mid-morning as a snack.
To Enjoy Instant Miso Soup
- Pour boiling water to the 200 ml mark on the jar and mix well to let it dissolve into the broth. It’s the same amount of liquid as Japanese miso soup bowls. Enjoy!
I have some miso which have been in my refrigerator, unopened, for almost 2 years. Can I still use it?
How can I tell if miso has gone bad?
Thanks for your time
Hi Victor! I’ve talked to a miso manufacturer about this before. If you keep it well, the refrigerator should slow down the fermentation and it will last for a long time, probably 2 years too. But you should always check it if you see any mold etc. If you feel something is not right, then I would suggest tossing it. It’s not worth getting sick. 🙂
With my lack of experience, I cannot tell if anything is off. I will play it safe and toss it as you suggest. Thanks!
Thanks for letting me know. I have a lot of miso recipes on my site, and I hope next time you will be using it a lot. 😉
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/miso/
I make miso soup often, but this is such a great idea!! So easy!! I made it exactly by the recipe and it works out great!! This was my time using fried tofu so that was a new experience. And I will definitely be using more. Thanks for the awesome idea and recipe!!
Hi Dell! Aww, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
I noticed several are having a hard time finding aburaage. I found it on Amazon. It wasn’t in any stores that I checked in my area either which is near Orlando. With Amazon It was a decent price and delivered the next day. I’m still making the homemade Instant Miso soup using pint Mason jars . I drink it every day and absolutely love this idea of making it for several days at a time. Thanks again for the recipe.
You make me so happy, Dell! Thank you for your tip! You made my day!!!! 😀
Hahahahaha! I use Ball jars all the time. It is so convenient. I can see what’s inside and easy to store in the fridge. I use it in the freezer too. Natto and takuwan better in jars cause of the smell. Dishwasher safe too.
Hi Suz! Yes, it’s wonderful that you’re already using it for miso soup! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Hi again! Thanks so much for this recipe. I have emergency wisdom teeth removal surgery soon and I’m thinking this is a perfect idea for meal prep for my recovery time after, since I obviously won’t be able to chew really well…I’m thinking of prepping for a week in advance as I’m over 30 and apparently that increases recovery time 😰. Anyways, any ideas for other ingredients to add to the soup that’ll last that long? Aburaage is impossible to find here not in the canned inarizushi variety. I was thinking maybe minced carrot?
Hi Jade! I removed 4 wisdom teeth removed at once when I was in my 20s (I went back to Japan and didn’t have enough time; hence 4 at once!) and I totally understand your situation.
I think you can blanch some veggies ahead of time, divide into packs, and freeze or keep in the fridge. That way you can add into the soup when you’re ready to drink. Now, I think it’s more fun to make some variations so you don’t get bored with the same miso soup.
Good luck with the surgery! You’ll be happy after all is done. 🙂
That’s a great idea! Thank you so much for your help.
I cook with your recipes multiple times a week because I know they’re so reliable. So thanks for all the work you do!
Hi Jade! You’re very welcome! Good luck and wishing you a fast recovery from the surgery. 🙂
[…] 5. Homemade Instant Miso Soup […]
Thank you very much for this recipe! I want to give my kids miso soup and rice for breakfast and prepping the soup in advance will save time. It’s great that we can make it up to 6 days in advance! I can’t find aburaage here in Toronto, only see the seasoned ones (like those for inari sushi) in supermarkets.
Hi Kerry! I think it’s nice to serve miso soup in the morning (more probiotic!). I keep hearing lately that a lot of people have hard time getting Aburaage. So sad, you can get the seasoned one but not the ingredient itself! It’s kind of time-consuming to make at home and most Japanese buy aburaage from the store. Any dry ingredients would do… if you’re serving at home, you can chop some tofu and soak in water to keep in the fridge for 3 days or so (I recommend changing water daily), or add blanched spinach or green… or something easy and nutritious would be great too!
Hi! Do you have a recipe for a vegan dashi powder? I’m from the Philippines and I don’t think our local Japanese grocery has it, especially one without MSG. Would ground kombu be a good substitute?
Hi Anne! I see! I’ve never done it, but if you can grind the kombu into powder (using a coffee grinder or spice grinder etc), I think you can use it as kombu dashi. 🙂
Okay, will do that, thanks!🙂
I bought the exact same Hikari Miso with the dashi you used and I was skepticle it would have a good enough dashi flavour but it did! It was delicious and so simple. Thank you for showing me the way! Now I can enjoy miso soup anytime.
Hi Jessica! I really love Hikari Miso products. I’m glad you enjoyed the miso with dashi too! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
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Thank you, John! 😀
Love this idea!
Thank you Tamala! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
oh my gosh, this is SO CLEVER! I’ve made a big batch of miso soup at the beginning of the week, but the flavor profile and ingredients (like daikon or enoki mushrooms) just aren’t as good as the week progresses. A while back, I brought a hot water heater to work so the instant miso soup is the perfect snack or end to a lunch 🙂 I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before!
Hi Carolyn! Hahaha! Well, Americans love mason jar meal prep (I’ve seen on food blogs and Pinterest) and this idea came to my mind. LOL. And yes, miso soup’s quality goes down in a few days… so this might be a nice alternative for you. 🙂 Enjoy!
Had this for lunch today, it was perfect and delicious!
I’m glad to hear that. Thank you, Rachel! 🙂
Hi Nami! Thank you so much for this recipe! I was thinking of adding some fresh tofu cubes in it as well but it probably wouldn’t keep well since it should be sitting in water. What do you think?
Hi Kris! Yeah, I mentioned in the post that if you consume in 1-2 days, tofu should be okay. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi! Do you have a seaweed soup recipe? Thanks.
Hi Angelica! Do you refer to the miso soup with wakame (recipe here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-miso-soup/) or the wakame soup without miso in it. I’ll add the second one to my recipe list, just in case. 🙂
If I bring this to work, I should warm the water first in microwave prior pouring it into the jar?
Hi Jos! To be safe, I’d use a microwave safe cup to heat up the water in the microwave and pour into the jar. Some office may have the hot water dispenser then I’d recommend that first. I think some mason jars are safe to microwave, but I’m not sure. If you are sure, you can add (cold) water and microwave it (just need to be warm/hot, not boiling). But remember the glass can be hot, so be careful. So unless you’re sure, I’d heat up the water in a mug cup.
[…] Homemade Instant Miso Soup […]
Does the miso dissolve smoothly when just adding water to the miso/dashi?
Hi Lauren! I updated the recipe – you do need to mix well to let it dissolve into the broth. 🙂 Or did you mean water as in cold water? In Japan, we have cold miso soup called Hiyajiru, and we let the miso dissolve in the mortar and pestle (so it’s easier to dissolve). I think whisking will take a long time to mix but it’s possible. 🙂
No, I was thinking just adding hot water wouldn’t necessarily dissolve it, but I see mixing well and using boiling water would probably dissolve the miso. Thanks for your reply!
Thank you for clarifying it for me! Enjoy the recipe, Lauren! xoxo