Easy Miso Soup with Veggies & Tofu
We love this Easy Miso Soup with Veggies & Tofu. It’s cozy, savory, and tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant with all the comforts of eating it in your own home. It’s also super easy to make and comes together very quickly, so it’s a perfect weeknight dinner option.
We like to add mushrooms, onions, and bok choy, then make the soup base with some miso paste and vegetable broth. We love adding tofu at the end, but you can use any kind of protein. The result is a healthy, comforting, and savory soup that will be your new go-to 30-minute dinner option.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Miso Soup
- Super, duper easy. This recipe is definitely for beginner cooks or anyone who doesn’t have the energy to make something complicated. The main steps for making this soup involve adding everything to the soup pot and cooking it until it’s warmed through and the flavors have developed.
- Hearty and healthy. Even though it’s made up of mostly vegetables, this soup will definitely keep you full. It has fiber, protein, and live active cultures from the miso.
- Great vegan and gluten-free option. As is, this recipe is naturally vegan. If you use gluten-free miso paste, veggie broth, and tamari instead of soy sauce, this recipe is fully gluten-free too.
What is Miso?
Miso is fermented soybean paste that has been consumed for over 1,000 years. It’s made with soybeans, salt, and koji, a culture made from a type of fungus that is cultivated by breaking down starches in rice or other grains. Naturally vegan and often gluten-free, miso is a tasty addition to soups, marinades, dressings, stir fries, and anywhere else you want to add some savory notes.
Eating miso can also have potential health benefits as well. Studies have shown that people who eat miso soup regularly may have a reduced risk of certain types of cancers and heart disease. We’re always on the lookout for flavorful foods that also help improve our health, and miso is definitely a win-win!
Our Version of Miso Soup
Traditional miso soup is made with dashi, a Japanese soup stock that is usually made by steeping kombu (edible kelp) with dried bonito flakes (dried fermented fish). You can make vegetarian or vegan versions by skipping the bonito flakes or replacing them with dried shiitake mushrooms.
This soup doesn’t use dashi, so it’s not traditional. Instead of dashi, we use vegetable broth, which we always have on hand. If you want to replace some or all of the vegetable broth with dashi to make it more traditional, go for it!
This is one of those soups that we crave when the weather is chilly. It’s perfect for January when everyone has just spent a month (or two) eating nothing but heavy foods and they want something a little different and lighter.
Ingredients in this Miso Soup
- Vegetables – you can use whatever you want, but we prefer using beech (also called shimeji) mushrooms (baby bella/cremini would also work fine), baby bok choy, shallots, and green onions in this recipe.
- Miso – for a slightly mild miso flavor, we use yellow miso paste in this soup. Make sure to use a miso that has a rice base instead of barley to keep this gluten-free.
- Seasonings – this recipe uses tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option) and white pepper for extra flavor.
- Vegetable broth – use your favorite brand (be sure to check the label if you are making this gluten-free).
- Tofu – we like firm tofu in this soup, but soft tofu works well too. For soft tofu, just be sure to add it at the end so that it doesn’t fall apart.
- Optional – cooked udon noodles or another variety (use rice noodles to keep this gluten-free) and chili oil are great additions to this soup. It’s up to you if you want to include them!
How to Make Easy Miso Soup
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms, white parts of the green onions, and the bok choy. Season with white pepper and soy sauce or tamari. Sauté for about 7 minutes.
- Add the broth and the firm tofu and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes. Note: if you’re using silken or soft tofu instead of firm, add it at the end of the cook time instead. If you’re adding cooked noodles, add them to the pot about 3-5 minutes before the soup is done.
- Remove the soup from the heat.
- Add the miso to a small bowl and add a ladle-full of broth to the bowl. Whisk the miso into the broth to create a slurry, then add the slurry to the warm soup and mix it in.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and serve with optional chili oil.
Our Tips for Easy Miso Soup
Don’t Want as Many Leftovers? Make a Half Batch!
Whether you’re just cooking for 2 people or you just don’t want to be eating the same soup for 4 days in a row, here’s a half batch of this recipe.
- 3 ½ ounces beech mushrooms
- 1 baby bok choy, chopped
- ½ shallot, minced
- 3 green onions, diced
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- ½ tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp light yellow miso
- 4 cups vegetable broth use gluten-free, if needed
- 7 ounces firm tofu cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ tbsp neutral oil
Serving and Storage Suggestions
We usually like to eat this soup as a full meal, but you can definitely serve this with a fruit salad, or as a first course before a light vegetarian or seafood dish, like this coconut poached fish.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days for best results.
Easy Miso Soup with Veggies & Tofu
Ingredients
- 7 oz beech mushrooms also called shimeji
- 2 baby bok choy chopped
- 1 shallot minced
- 5 green onions diced
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari use tamari for gluten-free, if needed
- ¼ cup yellow miso use gluten-free, if needed
- 8 cups vegetable broth use gluten-free, if needed
- 14 oz firm tofu cut into 1 inch cubes, no need to press the tofu (silken or soft tofu will also work here)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Optional
- Cooked udon noodles or other variety use rice noodles for gluten-free, if needed
- Spicy chili oil for topping
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.1 tbsp neutral oil
- Add the mushrooms, shallot, green onions, and the bok choy. Season with white pepper and soy sauce or tamari. Sauté for about 7 minutes.7 oz beech mushrooms, 2 baby bok choy, 1 shallot, 5 green onions, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
- Add the broth and the firm tofu and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.8 cups vegetable broth, 14 oz firm tofu
- Remove the soup from the heat.Cooked udon noodles or other variety
- Add the miso to a small bowl and add a ladle-full of broth to the bowl. Whisk the miso into the broth to create a slurry, then add the slurry to the warm soup and mix it in.¼ cup yellow miso
- Taste the soup for seasoning and serve with optional chili oil.Spicy chili oil
Notes
- If you’re using silken or soft tofu instead of firm, add it at the end of the cook time instead of cooking it for 15 to 20 minutes with the soup.
- If you’re adding cooked noodles, add them to the pot about a couple of minutes before the soup is done.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those easy meals that we make when we don’t know what else to make. It’s super healthy, super simple, and packed full of flavor. It may not be a traditional miso soup, but it’s definitely become a tradition for us, especially when the weather is chilly and we’re craving something nutritious. If you make this soup, we’d love to hear how it went for you! Leave a rating and a comment below!
