Basic Vegetarian Miso Soup

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 12/11/18

Miso soup

The Spruce

 

  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
240 Calories
9g Fat
30g Carbs
16g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 240
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 911mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Protein 16g
Calcium 550mg 42%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Just about everyone loves a steaming hot cup of Japanese miso soup, don't they? With a soothing and mild flavor, miso soup is light and "brothy," not the type of soup that is a meal on its own (though some people, myself included, enjoy it for breakfast), so serve your homemade miso soup as an appetizer before the main meal.

Miso soup is a quick, easy, and light soup and is a staple of Japanese cuisine. This basic recipe is a simple vegetarian and vegan version of the classic miso soup you'll find served in Japanese restaurants and sushi restaurants along with just about everything.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoons nori (or wakame seaweed, shredded)
  • 1/3 cup miso
  • 3 green onions (a.k.a. scallions, chopped)
  • 1/2 block firm silken tofu (cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • Optional: dash soy sauce (omit for a gluten-free soup)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients.

  2. Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Allow the seaweed to simmer for at least 5 to 6 minutes.

    Boiling seaweed for miso soup.
     The Spruce

  3. Reduce heat to very low and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until miso is well dissolved. It's best not to boil the miso, as this will ruin some of its healthy properties as well as change the flavor of the soup.

    Miso soup ingredients.
     The Spruce

  4. That's it! Making miso soup is so easy because the fantastic flavor from the miso does all the work for you.

    Simmering miso soup.
     The Spruce

  5. Enjoy your vegetarian and vegan miso soup. 

Tip

  • The longer you simmer the seaweed in Step 2, the less of a salty fishy flavor it will have, so keep that in mind.

Recipe Variations

  • If you're looking for something beyond just a basic, Japanese miso soup, try this Vegetable Miso Soup or this easy Garlic Miso Soup recipe for a heartier version.
  • This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan, but not necessarily gluten-free. If you're looking to make this dish gluten-free, keep in mind that some kinds of miso are gluten-free and some kinds are not, so be sure yours is.
  • Another ingredient to watch out for is the soy sauce. Swap out it out for gluten-free tamari or nama shoyu, or just omit it all together.

Looking for more vegetarian and vegan soup recipes? You may want to browse some of crowd-pleasing Creative Vegetable Soups, or, if you want something a little healthier, try one of these nine fat-free vegan soups or browse through plenty of Gluten-free and Vegan Soup Recipes. Want something a bit unusual? How about a Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup or a fun Vegetarian Peanut Soup. Enjoy!​