This is the dream recipe for miso soup that is both easy to make and packed full of umami flavor. Packed full of sodium, pre-made soup isn’t the healthiest option for our already terrible college student diet. Lucky for us, a quick and easy recipe for miso soup exists. During my time in Japan, my host mother would frequently stir up a batch of miso soup for a light morning meal. Although this dashi stock is not made from scratch, the bonito soup stock powder (similar to bouillon cubes) is convenient to store in your pantry. This savory soup is great to make when you don’t have time to eat a full breakfast and is gentle on an upset stomach. Feel free to add mushrooms for more vegetable goodness.

What you’ll need (for 3 servings):

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons bonito soup stock powder
• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 tablespoon dried wakame (a type of seaweed)
• 8 ounces firm tofu

What you’ll do:

1. Bring the water to boil in a small pot and add the bonito soup stock.
2. Add the dried wakame and boil for two minutes in the soup. Lower the temperature until the stock is simmering.
3. In a small bowl, add a little bit of the stock to the miso paste. Dissolve the paste until there are no more lumps.

   

4. Add the contents of the small bowl into the pot of stock.
5. Drain the firm tofu from it’s package and pat dry. Dice the tofu into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot.
6. Heat the tofu through and serve immediately.

Enjoy!