Japanese Wakame Soup (Printable version)

Nourishing Japanese seaweed broth with tender wakame and silken tofu in delicate dashi.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seaweed and Broth

01 - Dried wakame seaweed, 0.28 oz
02 - Dashi stock, 4 cups

→ Vegetables and Tofu

03 - Silken or firm tofu cubed, 3.5 oz
04 - Scallions thinly sliced, 2 stalks

→ Seasoning

05 - White miso paste, 2 tablespoons
06 - Soy sauce, 1 teaspoon
07 - Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon

# How-To Steps:

01 - Place dried wakame in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 5 minutes until fully rehydrated. Drain and set aside.
02 - Pour dashi stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
03 - Add cubed tofu and rehydrated wakame to the simmering broth. Continue simmering for 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk white miso paste with one ladle of hot broth until smooth and lump-free. Gently stir this mixture back into the soup.
05 - Add soy sauce and sesame oil to the soup. Stir gently and heat for 1 additional minute without allowing the soup to boil.
06 - Pour soup into serving bowls and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 20 minutes, which means you can have something nutritious on the table without the stress.
  • Wakame delivers minerals and iodine your body actually needs, making this feel like self-care in a bowl rather than just cooking.
  • The gentle umami from dashi and miso creates depth that makes people think you spent hours on it.
02 -
  • Never boil miso or dashi at high heat after adding the miso paste, because boiling will kill the living cultures and turn the flavor bitter and thin.
  • If your dashi tastes one-dimensional, a tiny pinch more miso or a drop of soy sauce will suddenly bring everything into focus.
03 -
  • Prepare your scallions right before serving so they stay crisp and bright rather than wilting into the warm broth.
  • If you can't find white miso, red miso works but will give you a deeper, slightly earthier soup that's equally delicious.
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