Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (2024)

A simple, healthy, and nourishing recipe for ginger miso soba soup with tofu, shiitake mushrooms, noodles, and lots of fresh vegetables. Hearty and packed with flavor from garlic, sesame, ginger, and miso paste, this easy soup is sure to become a fall and winter favorite! Gluten free and vegan friendly.

Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (1)

A cozy ginger miso soba soup

This has been a week made up entirely of Mondays. After the holiday deluge of over-eating, over-drinking, under-exercising and just generally not being the kindest to my body, this first week of January has been about recovery and hitting the reset button, and I know I’m not alone. We’re all in the midst of some sort of holiday detox, whether that means big kale salads and green smoothies, or simply paring back a bit from all the excesses of the season.

It’s still very much winter here – albeit a coastal winter, gentler than those of you in the midwest and east coast are currently experiencing – but still cold. The northern light is lower and even bluer than I imagined it could be when we first moved here over the summer. I can’t feign much interest in juice cleanses, but I do like the idea of a clean start. In the calm that follows – or rather begins – a new year.

I’m craving big bowls of healthy, healing… green. It’s the time of year for big, hearty bowls of grains and roasted vegetables, and certainly less sugar, but most of all: soups – flavorful, healing broths packed with goodness to warm you up from the inside out.

Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (2)

Why you’ll love this miso soba soup

When it comes to soup, I like lots of texture, particularly that lovely contrast between a warm, nourishing broth, and lots of fresh, raw veggies piled on top, that so often pops up in Asian-inspired recipes. I’ve been imagining a hearty miso soup for a while now, stocked with warming garlic and ginger, swirls of buckwheat soba noodles, chunks of tofu and a heaping of veggies.

The vegetables – in this case handfuls of chopped scallions, sh*take mushrooms, lacinato kale leaves and radish sprouts – cook a bit when added to the soup, but maintain their freshness and a bit of crunch. Not particularly authentic, but nonetheless soul-satisfying.

The flavorful, ginger-y miso broth can easily be made in advance, and warmed up when chilly days beg for a restorative soup filled with fresh veggies (whatever you happen to have on hand at the moment). Happy cooking!!

Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (3)

And be sure to try these other cozy soup recipes next:

  • Ginger noodle soup with Swiss chard
  • Simple weeknight chicken ramen
  • Butternut squash noodle soup
  • Lemony kale and white bean soup

If you make this miso soba soup, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura

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Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (4)

Ginger Miso Soba Soup

★★★★★4.7 from 10 reviews

  • Author: Laura Bolton
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner, Savory
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian-inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

A simple, healthy, and nourishing recipe for ginger miso soba soup with tofu, shiitake mushrooms, noodles, and lots of fresh vegetables. Hearty and packed with flavor from garlic, sesame, ginger, and miso paste, this easy soup is sure to become a fall and winter favorite! Gluten free and vegan friendly.

Ingredients

Scale

Ginger Miso Broth

  • 2 tsp vegetable or sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely-minced
  • 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced (or use crushed ginger paste)
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari ¹
  • 4 cups (32 oz) rich chicken or vegetable broth ²
  • 2 Tbsp miso paste (I use Miso Master or Westbrae Natural Mellow Red Miso)
  • kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

For the Ginger Miso Soba Soup

  • 4 oz soba noodles¹
  • 1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, roughly-chopped
  • 1 cup (packed) kale leaves, roughly-chopped ³
  • 7 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
  • small handful of radish sprouts, pea shoots, bean sprouts, etc.
  • sesame seeds and/or chili flakes, for serving

Instructions

Make the ginger miso broth

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened.
  2. Add the soy sauce, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.
  3. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, and let simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.
  4. Ladle a half cup or so of the broth into a small bowl. Stir in the miso and whisk until dissolved. Pour the miso broth into the pot and cook for a minute or two to heat through (but don’t let come to a boil).

Assemble the miso soba soup

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, about 3 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add the mushrooms and kale to the simmering soup broth and cook for a minute or two to soften. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Miso is naturally salty and full of umami flavor, so you may not need to add any additional salt.
  3. Divide the soba noodles and tofu between two large bowls. Pour the miso broth over the top and sprinkle with the scallions, sprouts, sesame seeds and chile flakes (if using). Serve warm. Enjoy!!

Notes

¹ For gluten-free noodle soup: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari and gluten-free ramen, rice noodles, or 100% buckwheat soba noodles.

² For vegan ginger noodle soup: simply use a great vegetable stock for the broth. Homemade stock is always best in a simple soup like this.

³ Feel free to swap out the kale for your favorite winter green(s), such as spinach, bok choy, or broccoli rabe.

Tip: While fresh will give you the very best flavor, I love the convenience of keeping jars of fresh minced garlic and crushed ginger in the refrigerator.

Keywords: ginger miso soba soup, soba soup, mushrooms, kale, easy, healthy

Ginger Miso Soba Soup Recipe - Fork Knife Swoon (2024)

FAQs

Is miso soup just miso paste and water? ›

Miso soup is deceptively simple. It contains just a handful of ingredients: fermented bean paste (a.k.a. miso), vegetables, and hot water or stock. Heck, you don't even have to use tofu (although if you do, make sure it's the right kind; more on that in a moment).

Which miso paste is best for miso soup? ›

Choosing miso paste for miso soup

I recommend making this recipe with white miso, also called shiro miso. It's fermented for less time than darker types of miso, such as red miso, and has a milder, sweeter flavor that works well with this miso to dashi ratio.

When to add miso paste to soup? ›

This is why miso is traditionally stirred in at the final stage of cooking, either over a gentle simmer or heat with turned off. If it is added at the start of cooking and boiled, the flavours lose there subtle of sweet and savoury tones and you are left with a much more one-dimensional taste.

How to make miso soup without killing the probiotics? ›

To avoid cooking off the lactic acid when making miso soup, you can make sure to turn off the heat and cool the pot until 120°F-158°F (50C°-70°C) (the probiotics will die above 158°F/70°C). But most Japanese people don't take an exact temperature reading and turn off the heat when adding miso to the pot.

Can you eat too much miso? ›

It depends on how much and which kind of miso paste is used to make the soup. If you buy packaged miso soup, compare and read labels to see how much sodium is in a single serving. Eating too much sodium can raise your risk of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Should miso paste be refrigerated after opening? ›

Once opened, miso paste should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a couple of months to a year. Since miso paste can still ferment and spoil quickly if not refrigerated, the best way to store miso paste is in an airtight container or jar with as little air space as possible so it won't dry out.

Why is my miso soup bitter? ›

Conventional wisdom says you never want the water to boil when you're making miso soup. Most Japanese cooks believe the kelp releases bitter compounds if the water boils, although other chefs don't think it's a problem.

What can I add to miso soup to make it taste better? ›

In mine i add shiitake mushrooms, dried seaweed, tofu and some kind of green like bok choy. throw in some bean sprouts at serving time.

Do you eat miso soup with a spoon or bowl? ›

Miso soup is usually served in most Japanese meals throughout the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Traditionally, Japanese serve miso soup in a small bowl, but there is no soup spoon provided. It is expected that you drink from the bowl.

What can I use instead of dashi in miso soup? ›

Ingredients for a Flavorful Dashi Substitute
IngredientRole in Soup
Vegetable BrothSubstitute for dashi; provides a savory foundation
Miso PasteEssential flavor profile; adds richness and depth
Green OnionsAdds a mild, crisp bite; garnish for freshness
KaleTextural substitute for seaweed; creates complexity
1 more row
Jan 7, 2024

What is miso soup broth made of? ›

What is in Miso Soup? Miso soup's base is a broth called dashi that is made from strips of dried kelp (kombu) and dried smoked bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Miso, a salty fermented soybean paste, provides that savoriness called umami as it's whisked into the broth, giving it a cloudy appearance that settles as it sits.

Is miso broth the same as miso paste? ›

Miso paste is not to be confused with miso broth concentrate, which is a more liquid version of the paste. Both are similar in flavor and texture, but the concentrate has a slightly stronger taste that can be primarily used as a base for soups.

Is miso a liquid or a paste? ›

It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae) and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables, fish, or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup, a Japanese culinary staple.

How do I substitute miso soup? ›

Soy Sauce/ Aminos

Soy sauce is the most common substitute for miso paste. Miso is thick and creamy, whereas soy sauce is thin like water, but if texture isn't a factor, they are both made of soy and chock full of salty and savory notes.

References

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