Miso Soup with Wakame and Soft Tofu Cubes
🍵 A Bowl of Harmony
There’s a quiet poetry in the first bowl of miso soup. For many, it’s their first tofu memory — gentle white cubes drifting in a sea of warmth and umami. Simple yet profound, this humble dish embodies the spirit of Japanese home cooking: balance, respect, and nourishment in harmony.
Miso soup isn’t just a side — it’s a daily ritual. Each bowl begins with dashi (broth), then merges miso’s earthy depth, wakame’s oceanic grace, and tofu’s calm tenderness. Together, they create one of the world’s most comforting foods — a lesson in how simplicity, care, and plant-based ingredients can become nourishment for both body and mind.
Ingredients
Serves 2–3
Dashi (Shojin Dashi – Vegan Broth)
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 piece kombu (5 cm)
1 tbsp dried shiitake slices
Soup Base
36 g (approx. 2 tbsp) miso paste (white or mixed)
1.5–2 g (approx. 1 tbsp) dried wakame – rehydrates to ⅓–⅔ cup
80 g soft or silken tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
1 spring onion, finely sliced
🍶 Method
1. Make the Shojin Dashi (Vegan Broth)
Place the kombu and dried shiitake in a small pot with cold water. Warm slowly over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form on the bottom — do not let it boil. Remove the kombu just before boiling, then turn off the heat and let the shiitake steep for about 10 minutes to release their flavour. Strain the broth. This gentle method creates a clear, umami-rich Shojin Dashi — the base of your soup.
Optional: You can reuse the kombu and shiitake to make a lighter second broth, called Niban Dashi. This simple, zero-waste tradition reflects the mottainai philosophy of Shojin Ryōri (Zen temple cuisine) — using every ingredient with gratitude.
2. Rehydrate the Wakame
Soak the dried wakame in warm water for 5 minutes. It will expand 5–10× its dry size, yielding about ⅓–⅔ cup. Drain and set aside.
3. Dissolve the Miso Paste
Ladle a small amount of hot broth into a bowl and add miso paste. Using a fine-mesh strainer or miso muddler, stir until smooth. This prevents clumps and preserves miso’s beneficial enzymes and living koji cultures. Return to the pot off the heat and stir gently.
4. Add Tofu and Wakame
Slide the tofu cubes and rehydrated wakame into the soup. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes, but do not boil, or the tofu will break and miso’s probiotics will be destroyed.
5. Garnish and Serve
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fresh spring onion. Serve immediately — miso soup is best enjoyed hot and freshly made.
🍜 Tofu Tip
For a soft, home-style feel, spoon silken tofu gently into the soup — it will float like little clouds. If you prefer a neater, restaurant-style look, use a sharp knife to cut even cubes before adding them to the broth.
💡 Cultural Note
Miso soup has been part of Japanese life for over 1,300 years — from Zen monks who valued its purity to samurai who drew strength from its nourishment. Its ingredients represent harmony among nature’s elements:
Land: miso, born from fermented soybeans
Sea: wakame and kombu
Water: the Shojin Dashi base that unites them all
This quiet bowl remains a cornerstone of daily life in Japan — humble, nourishing, and deeply human.
✨ Final Takeaway
Every spoonful of miso soup reminds us that nourishment doesn’t need extravagance. With tofu, wakame, and miso, a simple bowl becomes a meditation on care, balance, and the beauty of mindful cooking.
