Edited: November 5, 2024
Japan has a longstanding love affair with food and the art of cuisine. And while food and taste is subjective, and one palate may prefer other flavors over another - with Japanese cuisine, it is widely loved by many people and its easy to see why. The variety is large, there are delicious dishes in all categories, the flavor profile is varied, and there are unique snacks and desserts in addition to all the savory meal dishes available!
In today's post for the Cookbook of Japan series, let's delve into one of the most known Japanese foods, a staple of most Japanese meals, miso soup!
Miso soup is a beloved and frequently eaten dish in Japan. It would be difficult to be unable to find it throughout Japan due to its popularity and familiarity in the country. Not only that, but there are so many variations of miso soup, so even if the filling may vary from regions, the soup is very accessible.
Miso soup consists of usually a miso soup base usually made from a mixture of miso and water, some form of dashi, and some fillings stewed in with the broth. The most classic form of miso soup has tofu and often either green onion or wakame, a type of seaweed. Many Japanese people consider miso soup part of a traditional Japanese breakfast, but it is also commonly eaten as a side for dinner and sometimes lunch. Light and warming, but still with some filling, it is the perfect side dish, especially to rice. Some people add a lot of different things into the soup to make it more hearty.
A typical Japanese breakfast with miso soup
In addition to the classic fillings, there are also countless variations of miso soup. Because the base is so simple, it allows the soup to be versatile. Depending on what you add in the miso soup, the flavor can be totally different! Other most common variations include asari (a Japanese clam), tofu skin, nameko (a type of mushroom), and also ofu/fu (wheat gluten). Each type brings a whole new flavor so it's hard to pick a favorite! You can even change the type of miso you use to change up the flavor as well. The most common types of miso used are white miso and red miso, but other variations include yellow miso and a blend of white and red.
Three types of miso
Not only is it delicious, but miso is said to have many health benefits as it is a fermented food (of soybeans and some other type of grain) so it is claimed to have probiotics that are good for gut health. However, since miso soup is boiled, it may not have any benefits, as the good bacteria may disappear with the heat from the boiling process. A tip to combat this is to stop the boiling process of the water before adding the miso in.
Another thing to watch out for is sodium content from the salt in the miso, but overall the dish is touted to be full of health benefits especially depending upon the fillings you put in. And with the deliciousness of the soup and the warmth of it, it is sure to be good for your soul and make the most comforting dish!
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"Classic" Miso Soup Recipe 2 cups of water or a dashi broth *** 1. Bring water to boil in soup pot. Add the instant dashi granules. If using dashi broth, bring to boil.  2. Once liquid is boiled, reduce heat to a low simmer. 3. Add your miso in small increments in a ladle. Add some liquid from your broth into the ladle and dissolve the miso slowly. Do this continuously into you have added all the miso. Add more or less to taste. (If you feel you have added too much miso, you can add a bit more dashi broth or water to dilute.)  4. Once all miso needed is added into the liquid, add tofu gently into liquid. 5. At the end, add your green onions into the broth before removing from heat completely. *If you want to add wakame, you can do so at the same time as the green onions. It is recommended that you pre-soak dried wakame in water before and drain it, before adding to your soup base. 6. Enjoy!  --- Tips and Things to Note Depending on the type of fillings used, the order of when you add your ingredients may differ. The harder ingredients should go in before the miso to soften. Miso should be added later as to not overheat the miso and compromise the flavor and health benefits. Tofu is recommended to be added after the miso so that the stirring doesn't cause the tofu to fall apart. Traditionally softer tofu is used for broth dishes and soups, but firm tofu can be used in replacement as well. Homemade dashi broth can be made, and you can find many recipes for it online. Essentially, most dashi broths are made by combining bonito flakes and kombu into water and simmering. (But there is a method to this, so it's recommended to follow a recipe). The broth is strained before use, and it's important to note that the shelf life is significantly less than using the instant dashi, although many say that the flavor is superior. Although the recipe is perhaps surprisingly simple, some of the ingredients may be hard to find. We recommend a local Asian or Japanese market, or online for some. You can often also find miso and tofu at some health food stores too!   *Disclaimer: This is not a professional recipe created by a trained chef. HIS in no way provides any warranty, expressed or implied, towards the content of recipes on this website. It is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value and quality of any recipe or instructions provided, and to determine the nutritional value (if any) and safety of the preparation instructions. |
Other Cookbook of Japan Posts:
Dorayaki
Gyoza
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Enjoy Japanese food? Check out these half-day food tours in Japan! Priced at a great value and not totally time-consuming, you still get to enjoy some of the flavors of Japan and connect with friendly like-minded travelers and see the cities of Japan along the way!
Check our cooking tours here!
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