It‘s super easy to make authentic and homemade Japanese Miso Soup! In this recipe, I show you how to make quick and easy soup stock (dashi) from scratch, then create classic miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed. It‘s delicious and has many health benefits.
Miso soup is one of those simple joys in life—comforting, nourishing, and incredibly easy to make. We enjoy it daily for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Once you master the basics, you can customize it to your taste. This guide will show you how to make authentic miso soup at home—better than any restaurant or instant version!
If you love miso soups, try my Tonjiru, Kabocha Miso Soup, and Kenchinjiru recipes next!
What is Miso Soup?
Miso soup (味噌汁, miso shiru) is a traditional Japanese soup made from a miso paste mixed into dashi (Japanese soup stock). It often includes ingredients like tofu, seaweed, green onions, and vegetables, with variations depending on the region and season. A staple in Japanese cuisine, miso soup is enjoyed as a side dish with meals, offering a comforting umami flavor and numerous health benefits.
If you are already familiar with making miso soup, check out my Seasonal Miso Soup Recipe Collection.
Basic Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s master the classic version with tofu and wakame seaweed. The ingredients include:
- Dashi (Japanese soup stock) — The heart of authentic miso soup. We’ll dive into it below!
- Miso paste
- Tofu (silken or medium-firm, cut into cubes)
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Green onions (chopped)
3 Simple Steps to Make Miso Soup
Making miso soup is easy when you break it down into three simple steps:
- Make dashi (Japanese soup stock) – 20 minutes
- Add miso – 2 minutes
- Add tofu and wakame, then serve – 3 minutes
Once you’ve mastered this basic recipe, you can easily customize your miso soup with different ingredients for endless variations.
Step 1: Make Dashi
What is Dashi?
Dashi (だし, 出汁) is a fundamental Japanese soup stock and the backbone of many Japanese dishes. It’s incredibly quick and easy to prepare, making it an essential component of authentic miso soup. Unlike chicken or vegetable stock, dashi provides the signature umami flavor that defines true Japanese cuisine—without it, it’s simply not miso soup.
- Awase Dashi — This is the most common dashi made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
- Kombu Dashi — This dashi is made solely from kombu (kelp). It’s plant-based.
- Vegan Dashi — This dashi combines kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms for a rich, umami-packed broth.
- Iriko Dashi — This dashi uses dried anchovies for a deeper, briny flavor. It’s a popular choice for miso soup in Japan.
There are three main ways to make dashi, each with its own balance of flavor and convenience.
- Homemade dashi (best flavor & quality) —To make Awase Dashi, simply soak kombu in cold water, heat it just below boiling, then add bonito flakes and let it steep briefly before straining. For Kombu Dashi or Vegan Dashi, a cold brew method works best—just soak the kombu in the water ahead of time for a naturally deep flavor before steeping briefly.
- Dashi packet (best shortcut) — A dashi packet is my go-to shortcut when I’m short on time. Just like brewing tea, you steep the packet in hot water for a couple of minutes, and you’re left with a flavorful broth that’s surprisingly close to homemade.
- Dashi powder (fastest, but least flavorful) — Dashi powder (or granules) is the quickest method—just dissolve it in hot water, and you’re done. While convenient, the flavor tends to be weaker and fades quickly, so I only use this when I have no other options.
Pro Tip: Dashi is a staple in Japanese cooking, adding a deep umami flavor to many dishes. Make a big batch and store it in the refrigerator for 3–5 days or freeze it for up to two weeks. With dashi ready to go, you can whip up a comforting bowl of miso soup in under 5 minutes!
Step 2: Add Miso Paste
What is Miso?
Miso (味噌) or fermented soybean paste is made from soybeans, grains (steamed rice or barley), salt, and koji culture (麹, a fermentation starter).
There are many types of miso available, each with its own unique flavor. In the U.S., grocery stores typically categorize miso by color: white miso (shiro miso) for a mild, slightly sweet taste, red miso (aka miso) for a deeper, bolder flavor, and yellow miso (awase miso or mixed miso) as a balanced option. Want to dive deeper? Check out our detailed guide on miso!
Miso varies in saltiness and flavor, so there’s no “right” miso for miso soup. Adjust the amount to taste, or blend two or three types for more complexity. If you have a high-quality miso, enjoy its unique flavor on its own!
- My favorite miso is this Kodawattemasu from Hikari Miso (organic slow-aged red koji miso). It has a more rounded character that goes well with any ingredients.
- If you want to make miso from scratch, check out my How to Make Homemade Miso post.
- Dashi-included miso (だし入り味噌) may be convenient, but it lacks the health benefits of fresh miso. Manufacturers add additives and sterilize them to preserve quality, which stops the action of beneficial yeasts. For better taste and health benefits, it’s best to use traditional miso and prepare your own dashi.
How Much Miso Paste to Add to the Soup?
- In Japan, the general rule of thumb is to add one tablespoon (18 g) of miso paste per miso soup bowl (200 ml).
When you add miso paste, make sure to turn off the heat before adding miso paste to avoid accidentally boiling the soup.
Always dissolve the miso paste first in a ladle or separate bowl—never add it directly to the soup. Other kitchen tools I like:
- Miso Muddler (my favorite) – one side measures 2 Tbsp and the other 1 Tbsp to help dissolve miso.
- Fine-mesh strainer – to ensure smooth miso without clumps.
When Do You Add Miso Paste?
- Add miso paste to dashi right before serving to preserve its best flavor and aroma. Miso will lose its fragrance if reheated multiple times.
- Before adding the miso, bring the dashi to a slow boil, around 205°F (96°C). This is an ideal temperature for releasing the most fragrant notes of the miso soup. By the time you’re ready to enjoy it, the soup will be at a perfect drinking temperature of 167°F (75°C).
Step 3: Add Tofu to the Soup
To avoid breaking the tofu, always add it after dissolving the miso paste. This helps keep the tofu intact and ensures a smoother texture in your soup. Since tofu doesn’t require cooking, you just need to warm it up.
- Silken or medium tofu? In Japan, silken tofu (kinugoshi tofu 絹ごし豆腐) is slightly more popular than medium tofu (momen tofu 木綿豆腐), but both tofu are common in miso soup. Silken tofu adds a custardy texture while medium tofu is spongier.
- In Japan, it’s common to cut tofu on your palm, as seen in dramas and anime. If you’re new to it, use a cutting board for safety. For miso soup, cut tofu into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes.
Along with tofu, add dried wakame and green onions at the same time.
Serve miso soup immediately while it’s warm. By the time you are ready to enjoy it, the soup will be at a perfect drinking temperature of 167°F (75°C).
Reheating Miso Soup
If your miso soup cools down, gently reheat it to a simmer (around 190°F/88°C), but never let it boil. Boiling diminishes its delicate flavor and aroma.
When reheating leftover miso soup, stir in about 1 tablespoon (18 g) of miso to refresh its aroma. Adjust the consistency by adding more dashi or water if needed.
Care About Miso’s Probiotics?
A common misconception is that boiling miso soup destroys its probiotics. In reality, probiotics die at temperatures above 140°F (60°C), but the main reason to avoid boiling is to preserve miso’s delicate flavor and aroma.
In Japan, miso soup is valued not just for probiotics but also for its protein, fiber, and minerals, which remain intact despite heat. To maximize probiotics, use miso in salad dressings, dips, or sauces instead.
How to Store Miso Soup
While it’s best to enjoy miso soup right away for the freshest taste and aroma, leftovers can be stored with a few precautions:
- Let miso soup cool to room temperature (within 4 hours; longer could cause spoilage) before refrigerating. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
- Miso soup can also be frozen for up to 2 weeks, but be sure to remove tofu before freezing, as its texture will change upon reheating.
- For reheating, follow the tips mentioned earlier.
Tips for Making a Big Batch
To store miso soup for later use, it’s best to refrigerate the soup without adding the miso. When you’re ready to serve, simply add the miso paste to the portion you plan to consume. This helps preserve the soup’s freshness and flavor.
How to Add More Ingredients
This is a bit more advanced topic, but I’d like to give a quick introduction to it here.
- If you’re using root vegetables, place them in cold dashi and cook until they become tender, approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on the vegetable’s density and cut sizes.
- For leafy vegetables and mushrooms, add them to simmering dashi (with or without other cooked ingredients) and cook for a few minutes.
- For miso soup with seasonal ingredients, check out my Just One Cookbook Miso Soup Recipes.
Health Benefits of Miso Soup
I drink miso soup daily, as I believe it’s a delicious and healing gateway to excellent health. Much like green tea, I’d say miso soup is the elixir of the Japanese diet. Here are just a few health benefits I’ve found from miso soup:
- Good source of nutrients. Miso is rich in essential minerals like copper, manganese, protein, Vitamin K, and zinc. For me, drinking a bowl of miso soup daily is like taking a natural supplement for my health.
- Good for bones. Miso soup provides many bone-building minerals like calcium, magnesium, and manganese, which help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
- Improve heart health. The natural compounds in miso, like Vitamin K2, linoleic acid, and saponin, are known to reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol.
6 Key Takeaways to Remember
- You can make a big batch of dashi and store it in the refrigerator for 3–5 days for convenience.
- Add miso right before serving for the best fragrance and taste!
- Bring dashi to a slow boil (around 205°F/96°C), then turn off the heat before adding miso. This temperature ensures the best aroma and flavor of miso soup. When it’s time to serve, the soup will be at an ideal drinking temperature of 167ºF (75ºC).
- Use 1 tablespoon of miso per 1 miso soup bowl (200ml), and adjust the taste. To avoid clumps, dissolve miso first in a ladle, a separate bowl, or a miso strainer before adding it to the dashi.
- Add tofu, wakame, and green onions after the miso is dissolved.
- Never bring miso soup to a full boil, as this will diminish its flavor and aroma.
Now that you’ve learned how to make miso soup at home, I hope you enjoy this nourishing soup every day!
Homemade Miso Soup with Tofu
Video
Ingredients
For the Dashi (makes a scant 4 cups)
- 4 cups water
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (⅓ oz, 10 g per piece; 4 x 4 inches or 10 x 10 cm)
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed; I used a loosely packed 3 cups in the video for stronger flavor)
For the Miso Soup
- 7 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu)
- 4 Tbsp miso (use 1 Tbsp, 18 g for every 1 cup, 240 ml of dashi)
- 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- 1 green onion/scallion
Instructions
- Before we start… I make Awase Dashi with kombu and katsuobushi in this recipe. You can also make dashi with a dashi packet or powder. For vegan/vegetarian, make the Kombu Dashi I showed below or make Vegan Dashi with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Cut 1 green onion/scallion into thin rounds.
To Make the Dashi (can make in advance)
- Add 4 cups water and 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) to a medium saucepan. If you have time, soak the kombu in water for 30 minutes. NEVER wash kombu and do not remove the white substance—that’s umami! These days, it‘s pretty clean, so just make sure there are no dirt particles.
- SLOWLY bring it to a boil (about 10 minutes) on medium-low heat so you can extract as much umami from the kombu as possible. Right before the stock boils, remove the kombu and set it aside for another use. (If you leave the kombu, it gets slimy and yields a bitter taste.) Now, what you have is Kombu Dashi. If you’re vegetarian/vegan, use this kombu dashi for your miso soup.
- If you‘re not vegetarian/vegan, add 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) to the kombu dashi and bring it back to a boil again. Once the dashi is boiling, reduce the heat, simmer for just 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom, about 10 minutes. Then, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Now you have roughly 4 cups of Awase Dashi. You can store the dashi in the refrigerator for up to 3–5 days and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Reserve the spent katsuobushi and repurpose it; see the suggested recipes that follow at the end of the instructions.
To Make the Miso Soup
- Add the dashi to the saucepan. If you are using dashi from the refrigerator, bring it to a slow boil (205°F/96°C) over medium heat and turn off the heat.
- Add 4 Tbsp miso. Put the miso in a ladle, slowly add the dashi into the ladle, and stir with chopsticks to dissolve completely. Here, I‘m using a miso muddler. If you accidentally add too much miso, dilute the miso soup with dashi (or water).
- Here, I‘m using a fine-mesh miso strainer, which helps you dissolve the miso faster. After dissolving the miso in the strainer, you may see rice koji (especially when it‘s koji miso). It‘s up to you if you want to include it in the miso soup or discard it (personal preference).
- Cut 7 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes and add to the miso soup. Tip: Add the tofu after the miso is completely dissolved; otherwise, you might break the tofu when stirring in the miso. Note: It is very common to cut tofu on your palm in Japan. However, I recommend using a cutting board if you have never done this.
- Add 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed and the chopped green onions to the pot right before serving to keep their fresh fragrance and color. Tip: If you worry about salt intake, I recommend rehydrating the dried wakame in a separate bowl of water to get rid of the saltiness, instead of rehydrating it in the soup itself. If reheating, warm up the miso soup until it is just hot. NEVER BOIL miso soup because it loses flavor and aroma.
To Serve
- Serve immediately. Place on the right side of the table setting; you can read about this in my post Ichiju Sansai (One Soup Three Dishes).
To Store
- In general, it‘s best to consume all the miso soup right away because it will lose its aroma and taste as time passes. Let your miso soup cool to room temperature (up to 4 hours; any longer and it will spoil) and then refrigerate. Keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. If you want to make a big batch to store for later, it‘s best to refrigerate the soup without adding the miso. When ready to use, add the miso only for the portion you need. You can freeze miso soup for up to 2 weeks. However, you have to remove the tofu before freezing as the texture will change.
To Reheat the Miso Soup
- Heat the miso soup in a pot over medium heat, but do not boil. Miso loses its nutrients, flavor, and aroma at high temperatures.
What to do with the spent katsuobushi and kombu?
- Save the spent kombu and katsuobushi in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
- With the spent kombu, you can make Simmered Kombu (Kombu Tsukudani).
- You can also make Homemade Furikake (Rice Seasoning).
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on Mar 3, 2011. The recipe was revised and updated on June 7, 2022. The post was updated with new images, a new video, and more helpful content on February 2, 2024.
Love it!
Hi, Chloe! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed Nami’s recipe!
We have many variations of Miso soup recipes. We hope you’ll check it out.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/#search/q=miso%20soup
Happy cooking!
Hey Naomi, do you cover the pot while the Dashi is on the gas? much of the water has evaporated. how do you recommend dealing with it?
Hi, Sagi! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe.
We usually do not cover the pot when preparing Dashi. (When it reaches the boiling point, dashi is made.)
If you add another item to miso soup, like as potatoes, we will cover the pot. You can see how we use different ingredients in miso soup recipes. I hope this helps! https://www.justonecookbook.com/?s=miso+soup
What do you do with the left over kombu in the miso soup? Can we eat it
Hello, Debby! Kombu used to produce dashi can be eaten. Nami recommends the following recipe for used Kombu. We hope that this helps!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simmered-kombu-tsukudani/
Hi I love your website and want to thank you for generously putting all this out there for free!
I made the Miso Black Cod which was just amazing!
But when I made this miso soup is was so salty I couldn’t eat it. I was able to find all the ingredients at Nijiri even the Hikari Kodawattemasu miso paste. Maybe I used too much of that? Or would the seaweed be the culprit that I overused do you think?
Thanks again!
Hi, Charles! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipes!
It depends on the dried Wakame seaweed; you might need to prewash it. Please check the packages. It could be due to the overuse of Wakame. You can always add more miso later, so start with half the amount and see if you prefer the taste next time. We hope you can change the quantity to your liking and keep the recipe! 🫶🏻🙂
Maybe I overlooked a prior/posted comment/question. If so, apologies. But, for vegan dashi, how much (oz) dried shiitake to replace the bonito? 1:1 ?? The rest is easy/peasy. Nice recipe. Thanks!
Hello, Chuck. Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
For Vegan Dashi, please click the red letter “Vegan Dashi” on the recipe card. It will direct you to the vegan dashi recipe page. Ideally, two pieces of dried Shiitake mushrooms are used for every 4 cups of water. But you may add more if you like. We hope this helps! 🙂
A bit embarrassed to admit that I never knew this was the soup they serve at teppanyaki restaurants here in the US. Thank you for sharing this Recipe; I always loved it, and it’s great that I can just make it myself now.
Hi, Troy! We’re pleased to hear you discovered this recipe!
Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying out her recipe. We hope you can enjoy miso soup whenever you want!🥰
Hi Nami,
I was told by my acupuncturist that she wanted me to start consuming bone broth soup due to the medicinal ingredient of collagen which helps with making your bones, muscles and cartilage stronger as you age. (I am 73) I have been making bone broth in my brand new slow cooker and then it occurred to me, why not make miso? I made your recipe some time ago and have to say it’s best broth I ever had. Can miso soup withstand hours of slow cooking without compromising the flavor? There are lots of crock pots (slow cooker) miso broth recipes on the internet where they add everything you add, plus other vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, bok choy, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mirin, mushrooms, turmeric, etc. but not dashi. It’s the dashi broth I want to make and was wondering if it can withstand simmering for hours, which is the way you make bone broth. The longer you cook the more collagen. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, kazy
Hello, Kazy! Thank you for taking the time to read Nami’s post and for your thoughtful comments!
If you plan to leave the miso soup in the crock pot for several hours, we recommend adding the miso right before serving for a more pronounced miso flavor.
In terms of Dashi, we do not recommend exceeding the cooking time specified. Because ingredients impart a bitter or slimy texture to the Dashi, the longer it is cooked, For more information on each type of Dashi, visit https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/.
We hope this was helpful!
I found the exact miso paste used in this recipe at my grocery store in Japan and just used a packet of awase dashi with no additives. It was great! These recipes are seriously helpful because of the recommendations of specific brands and types of ingredients to use. Otherwise I’d just use the dashiiri miso paste and call it a day, not knowing all the health benefits I was missing out on.
Hello, Angie! We’re glad Nami’s directions and recipe were informative.
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and providing such supportive feedback. Happy Cooking! 🤗
Wow, this is the best recipe post I have ever read. Thank you for so much detail
Hi K W, Wow! Thank you so much! Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear your kind feedback.🥰
Happy Cooking!
Hi, there. I’m eager to try this version of Miso Soup, but am unable to find any miso paste in my local shops – even the big supermarket where I used to buy it! I know it’s hardly miso soup without the…er…miso – but what do you recommend as a substitute for miso paste?
Hello, Graham. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipes.
Unfortunately, there is no suitable substitute for Miso. You may flavor it with soy sauce or try a different soup, such as Osumashi.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-clear-soup/
Another recommendation is to look for Miso at online stores.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/online-shops-for-asian-ingredients-goods/
We hope this helps!
Now THAT is amazing! Thank you 🙂
Hi Reeze! Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We are glad to hear you enjoy Homemade Miso Soup. Happy Cooking! 🤗
My husband doesn’t like miso soup, including the miso soup we had last week at one of Denver’s top sushi restaurants. I had planned to make sushi for a dinner party we had last night (we have a great Japanese fish counter nearby) so I also bought the ingredients to make one of Nami’s miso recipes. My husband loved it!! (So did our guests and I.)
Hi Cheri, Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear your husband now loves Miso soup! ☺️
Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for sharing the experience with us.
Happy Cooking!
This is my first time on your blog and I really enjoyed this post. I’m going to attempt to make the Dashi so I can then make the miso soup. Being a vegan this is a perfect soup for me to make at home. I’ve had it in restaurants of course and I do like it. Your photos are beautiful and your tutorials helpful. Thanks
Hi Judee, Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We hope you enjoy many recipes from our site. Happy Cooking!
I’ve made this from scratch a few times using your recipe and absolutely love it. I usually soak the Kombu overnight with a few dried shiitake mushrooms and then follow the rest of your recipe with the bonito flakes to make the dashi. I then thinly slice and add the mushrooms to the soup while making. Really, really good!
Hi Darrel! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed homemade Miso Soup. Happy Cooking!
This was amazing. I now realize what umami means! I found all of the ingredients to make this exactly as written. The aroma after adding the katsuobushi was amazing! Walking into the kitchen while this was simmering, the aroma was intense and incredible. I even found the silken tofu and it worked so well in the miso soup. Thank you for this recipe. I’ll be making this again and again.