Basic Vegetarian Miso Soup Recipe

miso soup in a brown bowl close-up. horizontal top view
ALLEKO / Getty Images
  • 15 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins,
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ratings (59)

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 03/19/18

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.

If you're looking for something beyond just a basic, Japanese miso soup, try this Vegetable Miso Soup recipe for a heartier soup, or, try this easy Garlic Miso Soup, or, check out these vegetarian (and vegan!) Japanese food recipes which are simple enough for you to make at home, or scroll down for more vegetarian soup recipes to try. 

This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan. Some kinds of miso are gluten-free and some kinds are not, so be sure yours is if you need this recipe to be gluten-free as well, and swap out the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari or nama shoyu, or just omit it all together. If you like gluten-free cooking, you might also want to check out more gluten-free vegan soup recipes.

What You'll Need

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tbsp. shredded nori (or wakame seaweed)
  • 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)

How to Make It

  1. Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Allow the seaweed to simmer for at least 5 to 6 minutes. The longer you simmer the seaweed, the less of a salty fishy flavor it will have, so keep that in mind.
  2. 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.
  1. That's it! Making miso soup is so easy because the fantastic flavor from the miso does all the work for you. Enjoy your vegetarian and vegan miso soup. 

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!​

Nutrition Facts:
One serving provides approximately:
Calories: 91, Calories from Fat: 32
Total Fat: 3.5g, 5%, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, 3%
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 882mg, 37%
Total Carbohydrates: 8.6g, 3%
Dietary Fiber: 1.6g, 6%
Sugars: 2.1g, Protein: 6.8g, Vitamin A 3%, Vitamin C 4%, Calcium 5%, Iron 8%, based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 240
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Unsaturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 911 mg
Carbohydrates 30 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Protein 16 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)