This light misoshiru starts with clear dashi and gets body from soft tofu and wakame. Spring onion adds a fresh, slightly sharp note. Serve the soup in small bowls as a savory first course.
Misoshiru is a Japanese soup whose flavor is defined by dashi and miso. Dashi provides a light, savory base; miso adds depth and a salty, fermented flavor. This isn’t a heavy broth: tofu makes each spoonful soft, while wakame adds a subtle taste of the sea and a little springiness. Thinly sliced spring onion brings a fresh, sharp counterpoint. A small bowl makes a good starter, whetting the appetite without overpowering the rest of the meal.
For this version, make dashi with kombu and katsuobushi, dried bonito flakes. First, soak the kombu in cold water so it can slowly release its flavor. Then heat the water gradually and remove the kombu before it boils; boiling it hard can make the broth less clear and the flavor more astringent. Take the pan off the heat, add the bonito flakes, and strain them out once they sink to the bottom. If you’re short on time, powdered dashi or a chilled, ready-made version will also work. Follow the package instructions for powdered dashi, and taste before adding extra salt.
Miso comes in different varieties, from milder light miso to darker varieties with a more robust flavor. Use whichever you like, and if your miso is particularly strong, consider starting with a little less; you can always add more. At the end, dissolve the miso in a ladleful of warm dashi and stir it back into the pan. Don’t let the soup boil after that. This keeps the aroma of the miso distinct and helps prevent the soup from tasting unnecessarily salty or flat. Wakame expands considerably, so a small amount of dried seaweed is enough.
Cut the tofu into small cubes and let them warm through in the broth; boiling vigorously is more likely to break them apart. Serve the soup as soon as the miso has been added, with the spring onion sprinkled on top. It works well before a meal of rice, vegetables, or grilled fish, but can also be served alongside a simple Japanese lunch. If you have soup left over, cool it within two hours and store it covered in the fridge; use it within two days. Reheat gently until hot and don’t let it boil. For the best texture, store the tofu and wakame separately and add them when reheating.
Put the water and kombu in a pan and leave to steep for 20 minutes.
Heat the pan over medium-low heat until the water is almost boiling. Remove the kombu before it starts to boil.
Take the pan off the heat, add the katsuobushi, and leave to steep for 2 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pan.
Soak the wakame according to the package instructions, usually for a few minutes, until soft. Drain. Heat the dashi until just below boiling, then add the wakame and tofu. Warm gently for 2–3 minutes.
Ladle a spoonful of warm dashi into a small bowl and stir the miso into it until smooth. Stir this mixture into the pan and immediately take the pan off the heat. Don’t let the soup boil again.
Divide the soup among four small bowls and sprinkle the spring onion over the top. Serve immediately.
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