If you’ve ever been to a Japanese restaurant, you’ve probably had miso soup. It’s a simple offering of broth, tofu cubes, seaweed and scallions, brought harmoniously together by miso.

Miso is a fermented soy paste that’s frequently used as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It looks not unlike peanut butter, and is intensely savory (the property known as umami) and salty. Miso can be found in international foods aisles, Asian markets or online. It is a fabulous and cheap way to add depth to countless dishes - I bought a two-pound package for under $6 - and if refrigerated in an airtight container, it can be kept for nearly forever. Are you sold yet?

I first bought it to use during a cooking date with my friend Lisa - pastry chef at Bubby’s and sometimes blogger. Since then, I’ve been doing some research on ways to use it and you’ll surely see more miso recipes here soon, but for now, here’s a simple and hearty pork soup that miso helps take to the next level.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Broth ingredients:

1/2 lb pork loin, fat trimmed
1 small yellow onion, peeled
1 carrot
2 garlic cloves, crushed
A few black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
6 c water

Soup ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 small green squash, cubed*
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2″ pieces*
1 c broccoli flourets*
4 tbsp white miso (shiro miso)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 chopped scallions, for garnish

*These are vegetables I had on hand. Feel free to use whatever you like instead, like snow peas, green beans, cauliflower, etc.

Procedure for broth: Place pork loin into a stock pot and cover with water so that pork is covered by 1″. Cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, discard water and keep pork in pot (this step ensures a clear broth). Add remaining broth ingredients to the pot, cover tightly and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and crack lid. Simmer for 1 hour. Pull out pork loin and strain out vegetables and flavorings, and discard. Broth can be made 1-2 days ahead - if prepping ahead, store pork loin in broth.

Procedure for soup: Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Saute until starting to soften and caramelize, about 4 min. Add remaining vegetables and cook 2-3 more min. Add broth, turn heat up to high, cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, crack lid and simmer for 20 min. Then, ladle a few tablespoons of soup broth into a small bowl and add miso. Stir with a fork to dissolve and add mixture to soup. Stir, taste broth, and re-season if necessary. Turn heat off. Then take the previously boiled pork loin, slice it thinly and add to soup. Garnish each serving with a quick drizzle of sesame oil and some scallions.

Know any fun miso recipes? Share in the comments!

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