Instant Miso Soup Cubes (ready to drink in 30 seconds)

It’s time to elevate your lunch game with this Instant Miso Soup Cubes Recipe that’s perfect for your bento box!

With the convenience of grab-and-go miso soup cubes, you can enjoy a warm and nourishing bowl of miso soup anytime, anywhere.

This recipe takes only a few minutes to prepare and yields perfectly portioned cubes that can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month until you’re ready to enjoy them.

Simply add hot water to a cube and in just 30 seconds, you’ll have a delicious, homemade miso soup to add some variety and comfort to your lunch routine.

INGREDIENTS for making instant miso soup cube:  

– ½ cup miso paste 

Miso paste is a traditional Japanese ingredient made from fermented soybeans, and other grains like rice, salt, and koji.

Miso paste has a rich, salty, and savory flavor. It has a variety of colors, from light yellow to dark brown, depending on the ingredients and fermentation process. It is also a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it a healthy addition to many dishes.

• Differences among white, red, and yellow miso paste 

White miso paste is milder in flavor and sweeter compared to red and yellow miso paste. It is made from soybeans and rice koji, which gives it a light beige color. 

Red miso is darker in color and has a stronger, saltier, and more pungent flavor compared to white miso. It is made from soybeans and more fermented rice koji than white miso. 

Yellow miso is a medium between white and red miso in terms of color and flavor. It is made from soybeans and barley koji and has a milder, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of nuttiness. 

I used red miso soup in this recipe, because I prefer a heartier and saltier flavor for my miso soup. If you prefer a lighter and sweeter taste, use white miso paste. If you want a balanced and mild flavor, use yellow miso paste.

– ½ cup chopped green onions

Green onions, or scallions, are a common ingredient in miso soup and are added for both flavor and nutrition. They add a fresh, slightly spicy flavor to the soup and complement the rich umami flavor of the miso paste.

Additionally, green onions are a good source of vitamins, including vitamin C and K, as well as minerals. They also have antioxidant properties and are thought to have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Overall, adding green onions to miso soup not only enhances its flavor but also adds to its nutritional value.

And before you ask, yes, you can freeze chopped green onions! Frozen green onions taste just like freshly chopped ones in soups.

– 2 tbsps Hon Dashi (Bonito soup stock powder)

Authentic miso soup is made from dashi, which is typically made from kombu seaweed, bonito flakes, or dried shiitake mushrooms. However, making dashi from scratch can be time-consuming, so people often use instant dashi powders like hon dashi to make dashi quickly and easily.

Hon dashi is made primarily from bonito flakes that have been dried, smoked, and fermented. It is a convenient and easy-to-use alternative that has a more concentrated umami flavor and can be used to quickly add dashi flavor to miso soup.

You can easily make a flavorful bowl of dashi by dissolving 1 teaspoon of hon dashi in 1 to 1½ cups of boiling water, depending on how concentrated you want your soup to be.

– 2 tbsps wakame 

Wakame is a type of edible seaweed that is commonly used in miso soup, salads, and other dishes as a flavorful and nutritious ingredient. It is a type of brown algae that is harvested from the sea and typically sold dried.

Wakame is high in nutrients and is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a tender, slippery texture.

To enjoy wakame, simply rehydrate the dried seaweed by pouring boiling water over it and allowing it to soak until it becomes tender and fully expanded.

Instant Miso Soup Cubes Q&A

– Does frozen miso paste taste different from fresh miso paste?

Freezing miso paste may cause slight changes in texture and flavor compared to fresh miso paste. The paste may become slightly grainy or separated after thawing. However, the taste of the miso paste should remain relatively unchanged. And the nutritional content of the paste should remain largely intact.

The length of time that the miso paste is stored in the freezer can also affect its flavor. Over time, the flavors of the miso paste may degrade slightly, which can result in a less intense flavor compared to fresh miso paste.

To minimize any changes in texture or flavor, it’s best to use frozen miso paste within 1 month after it has been frozen. It’s also important to wrap each miso soup cube tightly and individually with plastic food wrap to prevent freezer burn or contamination.

– What other ingredients can I add to the miso soup cubes?

.To enhance the flavor and texture of the instant miso soup cubes, you may choose to add thinly sliced carrots or daikon, corn, natto (see my homemade natto recipe here), small cubes of firm tofu, or sesame seeds.

Yes, just like miso paste, root vegetables, natto, and firm tofu can be frozen to preserve their texture, flavor, and nutritional value.

However, when experimenting with different ingredient combinations, it’s important to ensure that the ingredients are safe for raw consumption and can be frozen. For instance, avoid using raw meat or leafy vegetables, as they cannot be eaten raw or frozen, respectively.

EQUIPMENT you will need:

• Ice Cube Tray
• Plastic Food Wrap
• Measuring cups and spoons

Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line an ice cube tray with plastic food wrap, gently push the plastic wrap into each compartment of the ice cube tray, making sure that it conforms to the shape of the tray. If one piece of plastic wrap is not sufficient to cover the entire tray, overlap it with another piece until the entire surface of the tray is fully covered.

2. Add miso soup paste, chopped green onions, Hon Dashi, and wakame (dried seaweed) to a large mixing bowl, gently stir with a spoon until all the ingredients are well mixed.

3. Evenly distribute the miso mixture into 8 compartments of an ice cube tray,

4. To enhance the flavor and texture of the instant miso soup cubes, you may choose to add thinly sliced carrots or daikon, corn, natto, small cubes of firm tofu, or sesame seeds. However, when experimenting with different ingredient combinations, it’s important to ensure that the ingredients are safe for raw consumption and can be frozen. (For instance, avoid using raw meat or leafy vegetables, as they cannot be eaten raw or frozen, respectively.)

5. Use a pair of scissors to cut the plastic food wrap around each miso soup cube. And wrap each miso soup cube individually with plastic food wrap.

6. Storage: Store the miso soup cubes in the ice cube tray and keep them in the freezer. They can remain fresh for up to one month.

7. How to enjoy: When you’re ready to consume a cube, simply remove it from the freezer, take off the plastic food wrap, and put it in a small bowl. Add 1¼ cups of boiling water to the bowl, stir with a spoon until the miso soup cube is fully dissolved, and enjoy it hot.

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