Do you raise an eyebrow just at the name? I do too, to some extent. Miso soup with cherry tomatoes is truly an unusual combination, even in Japan. It’s prepared just like classic miso soup, but towards the end of cooking, you toss in tomatoes.
This miso soup made its appearance in a Japanese series streamed on Netflix, “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House”. The plot is about two friends who set out to Kyoto to become apprentices in the art of the geisha, steer each of them toward separate paths.
Why is Miso Soup Paired with Cherry Tomatoes?
Miso soup is incredibly versatile, complementing a variety of seasonal vegetables. However, cherry tomatoes are not a common addition, even in Japan. It would be hard to find such a combination in restaurants. I’ve seen this pairing more often in cookbooks.
This soup made an appearance in the Japanese series “Makanai: How to Cook for Maiko,” where the main character used only cherry tomatoes and tofu to prepare a miso soup. It’s undoubtedly an interesting combination, but if you’re a beginner in Japanese cuisine or haven’t made miso soup yourself yet, I recommend starting with a basic miso soup with more traditional vegetables. By the way, did you know that botanically speaking, tomatoes are fruits? So, we can basically declare this recipe as fruit miso soup 😀
Tips for Making Miso Soup with Tomatoes
- As with the traditional miso soup, once you add the miso paste, avoid letting the soup boil.
- Let the tofu and tomatoes simmer for only a short while, allowing them to warm up a bit, not to completely cook the tomatoes.
- It’s preferable to enjoy the soup on the day of preparation, a recommendation also applicable to classic miso soup.
- I used instant dashi powder, mainly for its easy availability. Otherwise, dashi broth can be prepared in several ways.
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Tomato Miso Soup
Ingredients
- 400 ml water
- 1 tsp dashi powder
- 1 tbsp miso
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 40 - 50 g tofu
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a pot and add dashi powder.
- While the water is heating, cut the tofu into small cubes and add it, along with the tomatoes, to the pot. Heat briefly over low heat, allowing the tofu and tomatoes to warm up.
- In a small bowl, place the miso paste, add a bit of water from the pot, and dissolve the paste into a thin consistency. Pour it back into the pot, stir and remove the soup from the heat.
Itadakimasu! [itadakimas]
