15-Minute Miso Soup with Silken Tofu, Wakame & Spring Onion

⏱ 15 min · Serves 2

A clean, savoury bowl of comfort: a quick homemade dashi, mellow white miso, silky tofu cubes and ribbons of wakame. It takes less time than ordering in, and the aroma alone will pull everyone to the table.

Per serving: 135 kcal · 10.5g protein · 9.5g carbs · 6.0g fat

Ingredients

• 600ml cold water
• 1 piece kombu (about 8cm square)
• 5g bonito flakes (katsuobushi), or 1 extra piece kombu plus 1 dried shiitake for vegan
• 3 tbsp white miso paste (about 55g)
• 150g silken tofu, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 2 tsp dried wakame seaweed
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Method

1. Put the water and kombu in a saucepan and leave to soak for 5 minutes while you prep everything else.
2. Heat gently over medium-low until small bubbles form around the edges, around 5 minutes. Do not let it boil hard or the kombu turns bitter. Remove the kombu.
3. Bring the liquid just to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Leave for 2 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve back into the pan.
4. Soak the wakame in a little cold water for 3 minutes until it swells, then drain and add to the pan with the tofu cubes. Warm through over low heat for 2 minutes.
5. Ladle a little hot broth into a small bowl, whisk in the miso until completely smooth, then stir it back into the pan. Keep the soup below a simmer from now on so the miso keeps its aroma.
6. Taste and add the soy sauce if you want it deeper. Ladle into bowls, scatter with spring onion and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.