Easy miso soup recipe

Miso soup takes no time at all to make (in fact, this recipe takes no more than 20 minutes to conjure up, including preparing the soup filling). But the soup tastes like it has been simmering on the stove for hours. It is a perfect, healthy everyday meal. The recipe is one of those that you end up returning to again and again when you need to get something on the table quickly. The dish does not require much time or energy. You also have plenty of opportunity to sneak a lot of vegetables into the warm dish – maybe there are some vegetables hiding in the drawer that sing the last verse?

What is miso?

Miso is a type of soybean pesto that is fermented with rice, rye or barley. Due to the fungal culture that occurs, miso is incredibly healthy for digestion.

There are many different types of miso, and they are used in cooking as a kind of bouillon extract with lots of umami flavor. For example, in the classic Japanese miso soup like this, but light miso is even used in Japanese desserts.

TIP: Also try my recipe for Asian congee with chicken and mushrooms

Soup with noodles and vegetables

What you want to put in your miso soup is entirely up to you. Here we've used soba noodles, edamame beans, green beans, finely chopped red cabbage, mushrooms and coriander. It's a lovely, colorful combination that's also easy to prepare.

A nice way to serve the soup is with a large platter of 'filling' in the middle of the table with a pot of boiling hot miso soup next to it. Then each person can assemble their own soup bowl, pour the miso over it - and then it's ready to be enjoyed. 

The soup can be made vegan, and for example with fried tofu. But it also tastes great with shredded chicken (e.g. leftovers from the day before) or stir-fried beef. The recipe is therefore also great when you have various vegetable and meat leftovers in the fridge, so you can empty them out and give them new life – in a tasty, delicious way.

TIP: Also try this vegan wok with noodles and vegetables or maybe a delicious wok with noodles, marinated beef and broccoli

Vegetable soup recipes

It's easy – and delicious – to sneak lots of vegetables into your meal when soup is on the menu. Also try another soup recipe that is on the healthy side:

• Lentil soup with coconut milk
• Pea soup with bacon and almond crunch
• Cauliflower soup with dill oil and dukkah
• Spicy carrot soup with crispy halloumi
• Immune-boosting cauliflower soup