When it comes to Japanese soups, ramen gets all the glory. Those chewy noodles, the endless customization options, the flavorful broths… there’s no denying it’s got a lot going on. It’s the quintessential Japanese fast food, the equal to American hamburgers and Mexican tacos. But there is another Japanese soup that doesn’t always take the spotlight, more subdued and practical: miso soup. Where ramen is an extrovert prompting people to queue up like they are waiting to get on the newest ride at Six Flags, miso is homey and inviting, the sort of thing you might want on a quiet night in. It’s the old comfy sweater to ramen’s zany party hat.
But that’s not to say that miso soup doesn’t know how to have some fun. Sure, it sometimes likes to hang out with ramen to form miso ramen, becoming a sort of sidekick. But it can easily kick things up all on it’s own. Here in the US, the most familiar type of miso soup is the type they often serve as a starter at sushi joints around the country, made with sliced scallions and mochi rice cakes floating in miso broth. Nothing wrong with that classic take, but do a little digging for Japanese recipes online and you will run into endless variations ranging from remarkably simple to mid-mindbogglingly complex. Miso soup, it turns out, is one of those infinitely customizable dishes that can work with just about whatever tugs at your bobber.
I prefer to make my own dashi broth when I make miso soup, which I’ve included in the recipe here. This is a basic awase dashi made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes), which forms the base of a wide variety of Japanese dishes. The dashi can be made in advance to cut down prep time on the day you plan to serve the soup. To speed things up even further, you could substitute an equal volume of instant dashi (“hondashi”), or any other broth or stock of your choice. Just keep in mind that miso itself is quite salty, so you might want to stick to a low-sodium variety if you are making this swap.
Miso Soup with Sweet Potato, Shiso, and Shimeji Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the Dashi:
- 6 cups water
- 1 6" piece dashi kombu (dried kelp for dashi)
- ¼ cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
For the Soup:
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 3.5 oz shimeji mushroom cluster
- 10 shiso leaves
- 2 Tbs white miso
Instructions
To make the dashi:
- Clean the kombu by gently wiping it with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel. Add it to a large soup or stock pot along with the water. Set heat to medium, and watch carefully as the water approaches boil. As soon as it hits the boiling point, remove the kelp (it can be discarded or else saved for another recipe).
- Add the bonito flakes to the pot and boil until they no longer float (about 5 minutes). Strain broth through cheese cloth or a fine mesh strainer. Reserve broth. Bonito may be discarded or saved for use in another recipe.
- Dashi can be made up to three days in advance. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
To make the miso soup:
- Cut the sweet potato into bite-sized chunks (skin may be left on). Slice the base off of the mushroom cluster to remove the culture medium. Separate the mushrooms by hand, leaving some in small clusters of 2 to 5. Slice the shiso into thin strips.
- Return dashi to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add sweet potatoes and shimeji and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add shiso and simmer 5-10 minutes longer, or until all vegetables are tender.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the miso until fully dissolved. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Don’t confuse the small containers of miso paste (aka “instant miso”) that you may find in the Asian section of some supermarkets for pure miso. True miso will be kept in the refrigerated section, and is sold in tubs or bags.
- We prefer white (shiro) miso for our miso soup. Other varieties, like red miso, will also work, but have a stronger flavor.
- Kombu (also spelled konbu) can be found in most Asian markets or online. There is a tremendous array of different grades of kombu available, with an equally varied array of uses and prices. You will want to look for a variety labelled as “dashi kombu”, which should be readily available and among the least expensive options.
- Shimeji mushrooms (also called beech or clamshell), are commonly available in Asian markets and at many grocery stores that stock “exotic” or “gourmet” mushrooms (such as Whole Foods). If you cannot find them, shiitake mushrooms will also work in this recipe (albeit with a slightly different flavor).
- We use common orange sweet potatoes in this soup because we like the color they add to the presentation. You could also use the white-fleshed Japanese variety if you prefer.
- Shiso (a variety of perilla) is an herb used extensively in Japanese cooking. Look for it in Asian markets, especially dedicated Japanese markets like Mitsuwa. A related plant can be found at markets geared more towards Korean food under the name “sesame leaf” (which is another type of perilla, and not related to sesame at all). It has a different, stronger flavor from shiso. We haven’t tried it in this yet, so you are on your own if you want to make that substitution.
