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A small blue china bowl of bok choy miso soup.

Bok Choy Miso Soup

5 from 2 votes
Course: Soup, Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 large bowls or 4 small bowls
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Kelly
Cost: $2.54 per large bowl
Bok choy miso soup is a quick way to use up leafy greens in a light yet flavourful soup. And you get a hit of savoury, fermented probiotic goodness to boot!
Print Recipe
US Imperial (Cups) - Metric (Grams)

Equipment

  • Stock pot, Dutch oven, or donabe
  • Soup ladle

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp dashi granules (I use Shimaya Kombu Dashi Powder; see Note 1)
  • 4 cups water
  • 8 oz baby bok choy
  • 8 oz tofu (I use Mori-Nu Soft Tofu but any kind of tofu works here)
  • 5 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 scallions, diced (*optional, for topping)

Instructions

  • Add dashi granules, water, and bok choy to a stock pot or donabe. Set it on medium heat, cover, and bring to a simmer. While you’re waiting, take this time to slice the tofu into small cubes.
  • Ladle a few spoonfuls of the hot broth into a bowl. Mix it with miso paste until the miso is fully dissolved (see Note 2).
  • Meanwhile, continue to simmer the soup for a few more minutes until bok choy is cooked to your liking (1–3 minutes).
  • Turn off the heat and pour the miso mixture back into the pot.
  • Stir in the cubed tofu just to heat through, and serve. Top with scallions if using.

Notes

  1. Dashi is a type of Japanese soup stock made from kombu (kelp), a natural source of umami. It's the base of most miso soups. You can make your own dashi from scratch using kelp and mushrooms (see my Soondubu Jjigae recipe). But instant dashi granules (aka dashi powder) are also great in a pinch. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, just make sure the product is labelled vegetarian. Many dashi powders contain fish.
  2. Miso: The traditional Japanese method for miso soup is to mix miso paste with a small amount of broth instead of stirring it directly into the boiling soup. Why? There are two reasons: 1) the probiotic cultures in miso are killed at high temperatures, and 2) boiling hot water makes miso turn bitter.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1422mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5201IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 3mg