Basic Vegetarian Miso Soup

Written by
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Jolinda Hackett
Updated 10/11/19
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
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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.

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Watch Now: Basic Vegetarian Miso Soup Recipe

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.

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