Miso Soup Recipe

What is Miso Soup?

You’ve probably heard of miso soup, you might have even tried it, but what actually is miso soup? Dashi (a class of Japanese soup and cooking stock) is used as the base that forms miso soup. It’s not just for miso soup though; Dashi is very versatile and can also be used as a base for noodle broth, clear broth, and any broths that need that classic savoury flavour – also known as umami. Miso (the Japanese word for fermented beans) comes in as the second essential ingredient out of the two. Miso usually comes in a paste and is also used in a variety of dishes for that oriental, savoury hit. Additional ingredients such as vegetables, kelp or seaweed, and tofu are added to make dashi and miso a rounded soup.

The History of Miso Soup

Miso soup can be first traced back to China and has been around as far back as the 4th Century BC! Originally, a seasoning was created by the fermentation of a mixture of soybeans, alcohol, wheat and salt, and went by the name Hisio. Miso is an adapted and refined version of Hisio, which was then introduced into the Buddhist monk community in Japan, and interestingly, miso became an integral staple of the samurai diet. Miso spread in popularity over Japan around the same time as rice became a prominent staple, creating a signature dish that would stay for centuries to come.

Miso soup comes in all kinds of different varieties, usually named after wherever they have been created. And in reference to Japanese mythology, it is said to give health and longevity to the body, assumed from the Gods. If you want to feel like a samurai (sword not included) read on for our Miso soup recipe!

There are many different versions of miso soups, but this recipe is for the classic version. Feel free to adapt, add or subtract extras to create something you will love. For a dish that only requires two real ingredients and then the optional extras, time and care needs to be put into creating the soup to make it the best it can be!

Dashi

Miso

Additional ingredients of your choice

These typically include mushrooms, onions, potato, eggplant, beansprouts, or egg. If you want to add any other vegetables that aren’t in the list, we won’t tell, just check whether they would be best cooked before or after the dashi is on the boil!

1. Cook ingredients in order based on their density.

2. Add all root vegetables of your choice into dashi first before boiling.

3. Simmer them until they become tender.

4. Now it’s time to add the quick-cooking ingredients.

5. Garnishes such as green onions/scallions and mitsuba (Japanese herbs) are added right before serving!

Why Eat Miso Soup?

Aside from its connection with the Gods, miso soup has a lot of other health properties. Renowned for its profile of vitamins and amino acids, miso contains natural chemical compounds such as Vitamin K2, linoleic acid and saponin. These are known to lower cholesterol and also reduce the risk of heart disease. It is said that miso soup contains all 20 amino acids, making it an excellent source of protein. The only thing to keep an eye out for is the sodium levels, that can reach quite high in some recipes.

If this has inspired you to make your own miso, then look no further!

Here at our Chinese supermarket online you can find everything you need to make your very own miso at home! Simple, delicious and good for you.

While you’re there, why not look at other products you can try?