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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu

    LAST UPDATED: December 31, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 31, 2018

    Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu

    Slurpable noodles, hearty tofu, and vibrant veggies go into this cozy soba noodle soup. Super cozy, absolutely meal-worthy, and ready to serve in under 30 minutes!

    Close Up of a Bowl of Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu with Wooden Soon and Noodles Wrapped Around Chopsticks

    When I was eight years old my family moved to southern California, where I spent the next six years of my life, before returning to the east coast. I attribute those six years of sunshine to my current fondness for winter. I missed the snow!

    The winter of 1993/1994, immediately following my family's return from California, was one roughest winters on record. We seemed to get buried in snow at least once a week. My fellow Mid-Atlanticers might recall this as the year we got hit with a blizzard every Wednesday. I couldn't for the life of me understand why everyone was so miserable about it. The snow was beautiful and cool as hell and I got to stay home from school a lot.

    Overhead View of a Bowl of Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu

    Now that I'm all grown up and have to do grown up stuff like drive in the snow and shovel and pay utility bills, I understand a little better why that winter got so many folks down. I still think it's pretty cool though.

    Cozy meals and hot soups I suppose are a mitigating factor for lots of winter haters. (Although I consider them to be icing on the cake.) And I'm thinking this one might be what lots of folks need to get through those incredibly cold and dark days of winter.

    This soup is incredibly easy to make and comes together in about 25 minutes, so you can save your energy for playing in the snow.

    First off, tofu! I've made this soup with tofu straight from the package (a great option if you're feeling lazy), but I love it way more when the tofu is pan-fried. Press it, dice it, and cook it up in a bit of oil. Check out this guide if you struggle with getting crispy pan-fried tofu right.

    Tofu Sizzling in a Skillet

    To make the soup, start by sautéing some aromatics in a bit of oil: garlic, ginger, and the white parts from a couple of scallions. Add some water, bring it to a boil, and simmer some julienne cut carrots for just a couple of minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, ladle out a bit of water, and whisk it together with some miso paste. Add it back to the pot with some spinach, and give everything a few stirs. Season the soup with some soy sauce.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Miso Soba Noodle Soup: Sauté Aromatics, Add Water and Carrots, Whisk Miso Paste and Water Together, Add Miso Mixture and Spinach To the Soup

    Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.

    Ladle Pouring Miso Soba Noodle Soup into a Bolw

    Put on a cozy sweater, grab a spoon and dig in!

    FAQ & Tips for Making Delicious Soba Noodle Soup

    • You can save time while making this by cooking the tofu and the soup at the same time. And if you're a real pro, you can even cook the noodles at the same time.
    • For a lazy version of this soup, skip the step of pan-frying the tofu — just cube it up straight from the package and toss it in your soup.
    • Use 100% buckwheat soba noodles and gluten-free tamari if you'd like to keep this recipe gluten-free.
    • You can absolutely switch things up and use your favorite veggies in place of the carrots and/or spinach. Just be sure to adjust the cook time: you'll need more cook time for harder veggies, less for more delicate ones. The veggies in this soup are meant to be lightly cooked, so between zero and 2 minutes of cook time will be sufficient for most.

    Bowl of Miso Soba Noodle Soup with a Cluster of Noodles Wrapped Around a Pair of Chopsticks

    Close Up of a Bowl of Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu with Wooden Soon and Noodles Wrapped Around Chopsticks
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Print

    Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu

    Slurpable noodles, hearty tofu, and vibrant veggies go into this cozy soba noodle soup. Super cozy, absolutely meal-worthy, and ready to serve in under 30 minutes!

    Course Soup
    Cuisine American, Asian-Inspired
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 244 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • 3 ounces dried soba noodles
    • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoons canola oil, or neutral oil of choice, divided
    • ½ pound extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into ½ inch cubes
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
    • 2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
    • 6 cups water
    • 2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
    • ¼ cup white miso paste
    • 2-4 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
    • 4 cups sliced fresh spinach or baby spinach
    • Sesame seeds, for serving

    Instructions

    1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook them according to the package directions.

    2. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them well with cool water.

    3. Return the noodles to the pot and toss them with the sesame oil.

    4. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon of canola oil and place it over medium heat.

    5. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer and cook it for 10 minutes, flipping once or twice to achieve browning on multiple sides.

    6. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.

    7. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the scallions. 

    8. Sauté the mixture for about 1 minute, or until very fragrant.

    9. Add the water to the pot. Raise the heat and bring it to a boil.

    10. Add the carrots and simmer it for about two minutes, until the carrots become bright orange and slightly tender.

    11. Remove the pot from heat. 

    12. Place the miso into a small bowl and ladle in a bit of the hot liquid from the pot. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

    13. Stir the miso mixture into the pot, along with the spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted. Season the soup with soy sauce to taste.

    14. Divide the noodles and tofu among four bowls, then ladle the soup overtop. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu
    Amount Per Serving (1.5 g)
    Calories 244 Calories from Fat 102
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11.3g17%
    Saturated Fat 1.4g7%
    Sodium 1549mg65%
    Potassium 501mg14%
    Carbohydrates 27.7g9%
    Fiber 3.2g13%
    Sugar 3.5g4%
    Protein 11.9g24%
    Calcium 150mg15%
    Iron 3.2mg18%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Mushroom Crostini with Herbed Cashew Cheese
    Roasted Vegetable Biryani with Baked Tofu »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deryn @ Running on Real Food says

      February 13, 2014 at 11:34 pm

      Oooo, this looks perfect and I have everything to make it. Perfect for a cold Canadian day :) Thanks for sharing! I LOVE your site name, by the way!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 14, 2014 at 11:31 am

        Nice! I hope you enjoy it if you do make it. Keep warm and thank you for the wonderful compliment on my blog name :)

        Reply
      • Dorthy says

        August 16, 2019 at 8:12 pm

        This is the best soup! So comforting and warming. Pho used to be my favorite but this blows it out of the water! I love it!!! Thank you so much ❤️

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          August 18, 2019 at 2:03 pm

          Awesome!! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks Dorothy!

          Reply
    2. Jennifer Maes says

      February 18, 2014 at 1:00 am

      Would red miso paste work for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 18, 2014 at 9:45 am

        It would, though the flavor would be a bit different. Red miso is more potent, so I'd suggest adding in increments and tasting. Thanks for your question and please let me know how it turns out if you do try it with red miso!

        Reply
    3. veronica rodriguez says

      October 02, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      ooohhhhh i'm totally drooling :P i've got the ingredients, but perhaps a little bit of spicy can work for me, is a perfect recipe for rainy days! :D :D thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 03, 2014 at 3:12 pm

        I'm always a big fan of spicy too! A little bit of srirach or chili paste would be awesome in here. Hope you enjoy it! :)

        Reply
    4. Megan says

      April 27, 2017 at 6:54 am

      This looks really good! For the spinach, would you recommend bunch, bagged, or baby spinach?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 28, 2017 at 9:06 pm

        I generally prefer bunched, but you could really get away with any of the three. :)

        Reply
    5. Nanci says

      February 08, 2018 at 12:04 am

      5 stars
      Excellent!!!!! I subbed rice noodles for soba but otherwise I followed exactly and it is so DELISH. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2018 at 3:56 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    6. Nan says

      February 08, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      THIS RECIPE IS EXCELLENT!!!!!! I subbed rice noodles, used 3 cups vegy broth & 3 cups water then added red pepper Wow!!!! This is a keeper!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2018 at 3:52 pm

        Awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Nan!

        Reply
    7. Billy says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:48 am

      5 stars
      I love miso! One of my favorite soup ingredients of all time. Adds such a great flavor and reminds me of some of my favorite dishes. Thanks for sharing, cannot wait to make this at home.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 20, 2019 at 4:03 pm

        Me too! I hope you enjoy this!

        Reply
    8. Colleen says

      April 08, 2019 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      We really enjoyed this delicately flavored and wholesome soup. I served it with a salad dressed with miso-ginger vineaigrette, and it made a lovely meal. Next time I'll use less water in the broth, maybe five cups instead of six, because the flavor of the broth is so mild and because this made a lot of soup for two people.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 13, 2019 at 3:16 pm

        That sounds like a wonderful meal! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Colleen!

        Reply
    9. Sharon says

      May 20, 2019 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      My family loves this soup, but my husband has been put on a low sodium diet. Any suggestions on how to adjust the sodium? Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 26, 2019 at 9:16 pm

        I'm glad it's a hit! Almost all of the sodium comes from the soy sauce and miso paste, so you can cut back on those and/or try low sodium soy sauce.

        Reply
    10. Elizabeth Sazdanoff says

      September 03, 2019 at 12:29 am

      4 stars
      Loved this! I tweaked it a bit and instead of spinach, waited til the very end and topped it with some fresh watercress. I also added some mushrooms. This will definitely be a new go-to for me!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 08, 2019 at 4:20 pm

        Sounds like a delicious meal! Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    11. Sammie says

      January 28, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious. We didn’t have any spinach, but he had bokchoi and snow peas, it tasted amazing. My boyfriend is asking if I could make it again this week. So so good. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
    12. Isabella says

      July 25, 2020 at 7:13 am

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out delicious! Instead of carrots and spinach I used bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. It came together fast and the taste is on par with miso soup I've had a restaurants. Thank you very much for the recipe. :)

      Reply
    13. Lilly says

      April 03, 2022 at 4:51 pm

      Do you know how much is a serving?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 09, 2022 at 10:59 am

        About 2 cups.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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