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

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.

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

The base of any great miso soup is its liquid component. In lieu of dashi, a homemade vegetable broth can be used. Not only does this serve as a dashi substitute, but it also adds a layer of flavor complexity while keeping the dish plant-based and accessible to those on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

What is the ratio of miso paste to water? ›

I usually do a ratio of 1 tablespoon of miso to 1 to 1½ cups water." As for white kind of miso to use? Both Leone and Sullivan like sweet white miso for a mellow-tasting soup. "Many restaurants use red misos," Sullivan says, adding that yellows are more earthy.

Is red or white miso better for miso soup? ›

Miso paste comes in red, white, and yellow varieties. The type you use for soup is up to you and your preferences, but restaurants usually use red miso because it has the deepest flavor.

What is the secret ingredient in miso paste? ›

Classified as a fungus, Koji takes the starch in rice and other grains and breaks it down into sugars that can then be utilized by other microbes. It's an essential ingredient in miso.

Is miso soup good for your gut? ›

Miso soup contains several beneficial vitamins, minerals, and components that may improve your gut and heart health and may lower your risk of cancer. If you are on a low-salt diet, read the label on packaged miso soup to choose one that's low in sodium.

What is the closest broth to dashi? ›

Chicken broth is neutral, slightly sweet, slightly salty, and has some umami when done well. That hits all the checks for a dashi replacement, plus it's a more familiar flavor for a lot of people.

What are the two main ingredients of dashi? ›

Dashi most commonly utilizes a combination of kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), but other ingredients used to make dashi are shiitake mushrooms and niboshi (small dried fish).

What can I use if I don't have dashi? ›

The best substitutes for dashi are stocks made from white fish, shellfish, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, or pork. Equally suitable substitutes are Shirodashi and Soy Sauce.

Is too much miso paste bad for you? ›

Miso is generally safe for most people; however, if you follow a low-salt (sodium) diet, you may wish to limit your intake because miso has high levels. Soybeans are considered to be goitrogenic. This means if you have a thyroid issue you may be advised to minimise your intake.

Does boiling water ruin miso? ›

The aromatic qualities of miso – as well as some of the nutritional benefits – are damaged when boiled. This is why miso is traditionally stirred in at the final stage of cooking, either over a gentle simmer or heat with turned off.

Can I just add miso paste to water? ›

*STIR MISO to preserve the beneficial bacteria – stir the miso paste into your cup of hot water instead of pouring boiling water over the miso as high heat can destroy the healthful bacteria; this simple technique will help ensure you get maximum “nu*tritional bang for your bite.” MISO is fermented soybean paste.

Which miso is most flavorful? ›

The three basic types of miso include white, yellow, and red; as a general rule of thumb, “white miso is the mildest, yellow miso is more fermented, and red miso is the most assertive fermented flavor,” explains Masayoshi Takayama, the chef and owner of New York City's Japanese and sushi restaurant Masa.

What is the healthiest miso paste? ›

In terms of health benefits, the darker and more strongly flavored miso varieties tend to be the most nutritious. Here are a few of the healthiest types of miso: Red Miso: Made with a higher percentage of soybeans and fermented for a longer period of time, red miso has a rich, complex flavor and a dark red-brown color.

Do you use dark or light miso paste for miso soup? ›

Any miso can be used to make a soup – a sweet white miso (like my 10-day miso) makes a light creamy drink; whilst a dark, rich miso makes a more savory soup, which can be easily turned into a meal by the addition of vegetables, tofu and noodles.

Is red or yellow miso better for soup? ›

Traditionally light/yellow/white miso is used for miso soup. You can use either though! Dark miso is a stronger flavor but also delicious.

Is white or dark miso paste better? ›

Choose the best miso

Yellow or shinsu miso is an all-purpose miso that has a slightly deeper flavour than shiro because it is fermented longer. Red/brown or aka miso is richer and darker than the others and works well in soups and stews, but too much can spoil the flavour.

What are the three types of miso paste? ›

The type of grain used to inoculate the koji is one key distinguisher between the types of miso. There is kome miso, made with rice koji; mugi miso, made with barley koji; and mame miso, made with soybean koji. Of these, kome miso—made with rice koji—remains the most widespread commercially produced miso.

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