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Create a satisfying and savory Japanese restaurant favorite right in the comfort of your kitchen with this Easy Miso Soup with Udon Noodles recipe!
If you’ve ever been to a Japanese restaurant, chances are you’ve been offered a bowl of miso soup before your meal. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that, when added to a broth base, gives it a unique, umami flavor. Traditional miso soup is made with miso paste, broth, mushrooms, green onions, seaweed, fish sauce, and scallions. I prefer miso soup when it’s light on the seaweed and fish sauce. If it’s omitted completely from the soup, it’s even better! Miso is a delicious starter that I always look forward to at Japanese restaurants.
I recently decided to take miso soup to entree status when I made a homemade version for the first time last week. Soup season usually means my lunch of choice is some kind of noodle in broth. We all know that Ramen is a pretty big deal these days, but one of my favorite Asian noodles is Udon (plus, it’s way more fun to say!). Udon noodles are a thick cut noodle that are soft and slightly chewy. They’re perfect for slurping, which by the way, is actually encouraged in Japanese culture!
A delicious soup with lots of authentic Japanese flavor!
This was my first time working with miso paste. After trying to find it in two stores, I was almost about to give up on this recipe. Then, as I sat in the parking lot, I looked up where to locate it in the store. You won’t find it in the international aisle. Miso paste is actually a refrigerated item! It was in with the fermented foods at Whole Foods. Kind of makes sense since the paste is made out of fermented soybeans!
I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this recipe because my first attempt at miso soup turned out to be delicious! If you’re not opposed to fish sauce, I would definitely add a little into the broth to give it that authentic flavor. This soup is still delicious without it and vegan-friendly! This recipe makes a large batch, so enjoy it for dinner and lunch the next day, or freeze it!
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups water
- 4 tbsp. white miso paste
- 1/2 - 16 oz block firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 8 oz fresh Udon noodles
- Chopped green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil.
- Whisk in the miso paste and lower heat to a simmer.
- Add the tofu and mushrooms to the broth. Cook just until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the Udon noodles and stir. Cook noodles until they are warm.
- Spoon the soup into bowls and top with chopped green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
To drain the tofu, place the tofu block onto a plate. Add another plate on top and use something heavy to weigh it down (I used my husband's YETI mug and that seemed to do the job). Tofu is best when drained overnight, but will be ready when the plate is mostly filled with water. Pat the tofu block dry and cut into cubes.
This soup is full of delicious, earthy flavors. If you’ve never had tofu before, don’t be afraid of trying it. It’s soft in texture and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with! I pinky promise you that, when prepared the right way, tofu can be a delicious vegetarian substitute in meals!
This recipe turned out to be more like a fun, miso noodle bowl instead of soup. I ended up adding the noodles, mushrooms, and tofu to my bowl first. Then, I topped it with broth and garnished it with green onions. Not only will this miso soup warm you up on cold days, but it’s really filling, too! Have it for lunch and you’ll stay satisfied all afternoon!
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