About this recipe

A comforting, deeply savory Japanese soup built on a simple dashi broth and finished with silky tofu, wakame seaweed, and a spoonful of umami-rich miso. Ready in under 20 minutes, this is the kind of recipe you'll make on repeat — perfect as a light starter, a warming breakfast, or a soothing side to any Japanese-inspired meal.

Instructions

1. 1

   Add the water and kombu to a saucepan. Let the kombu soak for at least 5 minutes (or up to 30 minutes if you have time) — this cold-steeping draws out its natural glutamates for a deeper broth.

2. 2

   Place the saucepan over ^[medium heat]. Warm the kombu in the water until it just begins to simmer — small bubbles will appear around the edges. Remove and discard the kombu just before the water reaches a full boil.

3. 3

   Add the katsuobushi to the hot kombu water. Bring to a gentle simmer over ^[medium heat], then immediately turn off the heat. Let the flakes steep undisturbed for 3 minutes — do not stir.

4. 4

   Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean mixing bowl or pot, pressing gently on the katsuobushi to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Your dashi is ready.

5. 5

   Return the dashi to the saucepan over ^[medium-low heat]. Add the silken tofu cubes and rehydrated wakame. Warm gently until the broth is steaming hot but not boiling — about 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Place the white miso paste in a small ladle or a separate mixing bowl. Scoop out a few tablespoons of the hot dashi and whisk it with the white miso paste until fully dissolved and smooth. Stir this white miso paste mixture back into the pot.

7. 7

   Taste the soup. It should be savory, lightly salty, and balanced. Add a little more dissolved white miso paste if you prefer a stronger flavor. Keep the heat on the lowest setting — the soup should be steaming but never boiling.

8. 8

   Ladle the soup into bowls and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.