Spicy Miso Soup

This spicy umami broth is packed with herbs, water chestnuts, mushrooms, green onions, and tofu, guaranteed to leave your lips tingling.

We continue soup season with this Spicy Miso Soup, because who doesn’t love a sin on the traditional. Ready in 10 minutes this spicy miso is perfect for those cold gloomy days where you just aren’t in the mood to cook, but you want something delicious. This single serving miso soup is one to save , and one to repeat all Fall and Winter.

*This post is sponsored by Reese Specialty Foods. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!

NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL MISO SOUP

If you’ve had miso soup, you know that it’s traditionally quite simple. Miso paste + dashi broth, silken tofu, wakame seaweed, and maybe a few green onions. This recipe definitely isn’t that. For starters this soup packs a punch in the heat department. Secondly, there are a few ingredients that would wouldn’t normally find in a miso soup. So, if you are looking for a slight departure from the authentic miso soup, that is packed with flavor this is it.

MISO

I talk a little bit about miso paste in my Miso Chipotle Pasta recipe. Buying miso paste can be intimidating especially if you are doing it in an Asian specialty market where the options are endless. For this spicy miso soup I recommend going with either of the below. However, if you already have a favorite miso at home that you use for soup use that.

White Miso – Very mild and sweet. Good for sauces, aioli’s, and dressings as well as seafood, chicken, and vegetables. If using the white miso for this spicy miso soup you might need to add an extra table spoon of miso paste if you want to punch up the flavor.

White + Red Miso Blend (Awase)– Deeper umami flavor without completely overwhelming a dish. Richer in flavor than white miso. Can also be used for heartier deeper flavored dishes like heartier soups, heavier sauces (ie. a meat sauce), and braises.

Regardless of which miso you choose try and find one with dashi or bonito added. Also, a good rule of thumb, the darker the color the deeper the flavor, so if opting for Awase miso don’t choose the darkest one.

THE TOPPINGS

Water Chestnuts
I was obsessed with these as a kid, whenever we would get Chinese takeout, it was the first thing I hunted for in my stir fry. If you aren’t familiar with water chestnuts they are mild in flavor, slightly nutty, but the selling point is the crisp and crunch they give to a dish. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized you can buy these canned.

Now I’ve tried a lot of brands, but hands down Reese Specialty Foods is one of my favorites. Buy them whole, sliced, or diced Reese water chestnuts are crisp and truly deliver on that mellow flavor. The sliced water chestnuts used in this recipe where whole slices, not broken ones, crisp with a great snap, not mealy.

Not surprised though Reese Specialty Foods brings great ingredients to your home. From artichokes to hearts of palm, from capers to these delicious water chestnuts. Check out Reese Specialty Foods water chestnuts and the rest of their line of foods HERE!

TOPPINGS CONT…

Cilantro– I know I overplay cilantro, but it adds such a fresh pungent taste to this soup. Cilantro is added right before you serve this soup, holding its fresh herbaceous flavor.

Shiitake Mushrooms – Look for thick full caps. Avoid any mushroom that looks dried out or slimy.

Tofu – Soft tofu is the best option oppose to firm and extra firm which are more suitable for stir frys and roasting. Careful when cutting and handling soft tofu, it can fall apart or break when cutting into cubes. Since it is so fragile this ingredient is added at the last minute of cooking.

Green Onion – Green part only! Save the whites for another recipe. Slice super thin, and place in the soup before serving.

Chillies – This recipe uses Thai chilies, or other known as bird’s eye chilies. Find these chilies in your Asian specialty market. If you can’t find them or want to make this soup without buying a pack of 50 chilies for 1 dish then you can substitute out for chili flakes.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY MISO SOUP

This recipe is so easy it doesn’t even need a step by step, but below is a run through of how to make this umami packed broth is a punch of heat.

Make the Broth – In a pot over medium heat add 2 1/2 cups of water and the chillies or chili flakes. Once at a simmer add the miso and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. While this is a single serving recipe this is a great one to double or triple if cooking for others.

Add the Hearty Add-Ins – Time to add in all the add-ins that need a few minutes to cook or heat up. Add in the shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and water chestnuts and boil for 1-2 minutes.

Top with More Delicate Add-Ins – Turn off the heat and toss in your more delicate ingredients such as cilantro, nori sheets, or green onions.

The recipe below is for a single serving, however it is extreme easy to scale up for more than one. Looking for more soups? Check out the below!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup