Miso Mushroom Soup

This miso mushroom soup is full of umami flavor, loaded with healthy ingredients, and can be made in about 20 minutes! It's a hearty soup that hits the spot every time and makes a perfect meal!

This miso mushroom soup is one of my absolute favorite meals.

Thanks to the natural umami-rich ingredients like miso paste and mushrooms, this soup is rich in flavor and hits the spot on a cool day.

The miso and and mushrooms also pack a health punch; they are loaded with nutrients, protein, and are really good for your gut.

Another great thing about this soup is that you can customize it to how you like, turning it from an already delicious meal to a fabulous one!

Ingredients

Soup Base:

• Water
• Dashi granules
• Miso paste

For the mushroom part of this soup, I like approximately a 3-4 cups of mushrooms, using a variety for flavor and texture. My favorites are:

• King mushrooms
• Oyster mushrooms
• Shimeji mushrooms
• Enoki mushrooms

I have also used Chinese wood ears, which aren't a mushroom, but they are a fungus like mushrooms and add umami, crunch, and texture to the soup.

Can I use dried mushrooms?

Yes! Dried shiitake mushrooms, snow fungus, or wood ear fungus are delicious options, but you need to soak and rehydrate them before adding them to the soup.

How To Make Miso Mushroom Soup

In a small pot, add water, dashi broth granules, and miso paste and set on the stove over medium heat. Prepare and cut the mushrooms, keeping them chunky, and add them to the pot.

Once the soup comes to a boil, simmer for about 5 minutes.

Optional Extra Ingredients

These are a few of my favorite things to add to my miso mushroom soup.

Daikon: Daikon adds yet another level of texture and some sweetness to the soup. Peel and cut the daikon into batons or chunks and add them to the pot before the mushrooms so that they have enough time to cook through and become tender.

Sugar snap peas: A bit of green is always welcome in soup! Add the snap peas to the pot during the last minute of cooking so that they are still crisp and vibrant when serving.

Fresh egg: Besides added protein, an egg can add a bit of "creaminess", or richness, to the soup. Add it during the last minute of cooking to heat it while keeping it runny.

If you prefer the egg to be cooked to a more solid state, add it to the pot midway through cooking.

Garnishes

While the soup is perfectly delicious to eat at this point, I love adding some extra touches that only add more delicious layers of flavor and texture.

• Chopped green onion
• Fried shallots
• Chili crisp oil
• Sesame seeds

Variations to the Soup

Starches: While I find this soup filling and satisfying enough as it is, you can add more bulk to the soup by adding about ½ a cup of cooked rice to the soup. If you love noodles, udon, ramen, or rice noodles would be a great addition.

Frozen dumplings: Sometimes I also add a few small frozen wonton dumplings or fish shao mai to the soup. If you do this, add these to the pot near the beginning of cooking so they have enough time to heat through.

Other vegetables: You can also add other types of vegetables/ingredients to the soup in addition to the mushrooms, opting for ones that cook relatively quickly. Good options are zucchini, baby bok choy, napa cabbage, tofu puffs, etc.