This easy Japanese miso soup combines silken tofu, rehydrated wakame, and dashi broth in under 15 minutes. The key technique is dissolving miso in a strainer to avoid breaking the tofu and creating a smooth, even broth.
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Add 2 c boiling water (I like using an electric kettle) to 2 tbsp wakame and stir for 10 seconds to make sure all the pieces can hydrate without sticking together. When in doubt, add more water so there's more room for the seaweed to spread out and evenly hydrate.
Let it soak for about 3 minutes until fully hydrated, then strain, and set aside.
Pour 4 c water into a medium pot, add 2 tsp dashi granules and bring to a boil on high heat.
Once the pot is boiling, reduce heat to medium-high, add 1/2 lb silken tofu and all the rehydrated seaweed. Gently stir and wait until the pot just reaches a boil, then turn off the heat.
Add 3 tbsp miso to a strainer and lower it into the pot. Use a spoon to mix the miso into the broth. The strainer helps you dissolve the miso without having to chase it around the pot, and without breaking any tofu. You can also do this in a ladle, or a bowl on the side using a scoop of the broth in the pot.
Scoop out into bowls, garnishing each bowl with a big pinch of scallions just before serving.
Store leftover soup (without miso if possible) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently and add fresh miso just before serving.
Yes. The recipe calls for red or white miso—use whichever you prefer. Red miso is earthier and saltier; white is milder and slightly sweet.
The strainer prevents miso from clumping, dissolves it evenly into the broth, and keeps it from breaking apart the delicate silken tofu.
You can substitute instant dashi (hon-dashi) at the same ratio, or use vegetable or kombu stock. The flavor profile will shift slightly but the soup will still work.
Heat until the pot just reaches a boil, then turn off the heat. High heat can break the delicate silken tofu, so keep the cooking gentle.
Prepare the wakame and broth base separately; store both refrigerated. Combine and reheat gently just before serving, adding miso after the pot cools slightly to preserve its beneficial enzymes.
