Ginger Miso Winter Soup (Printable)

Light, warming broth with fresh ginger and miso, featuring winter vegetables and umami-rich flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 6 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
02 - 2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup napa cabbage, thinly sliced
06 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
08 - 2 scallions, sliced

→ Garnishes

09 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon chili oil or dash of chili flakes

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 7 ounces silken tofu, cubed
13 - 3.5 ounces soba or rice noodles, cooked per package instructions

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot, bring water or vegetable broth to a gentle simmer.
02 - Add sliced ginger and garlic to the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes to fully infuse the aromatics into the liquid.
03 - Add napa cabbage, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms to the broth. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables reach desired tenderness.
04 - Remove pot from heat. Place miso paste in a small bowl and add a ladle of hot broth, whisking until smooth. Stir the miso mixture into the soup. Do not boil after adding miso to preserve beneficial probiotics.
05 - If using tofu and noodles, add them to the soup and allow to warm through for 2 minutes.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, fresh herbs, and chili oil or flakes as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means hot soup when you actually need it, not hours later.
  • The ginger hits different when it's fresh and properly infused—it warms you from the inside without any heaviness.
  • Miso adds this umami punch that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is, and it's so simple you'll feel like a kitchen wizard.
  • It's flexible enough to adapt to whatever vegetables are hanging around your fridge, so it never gets boring.
02 -
  • Never boil miso after adding it—heat destroys the live cultures that make miso good for your gut, so that gentle stir-in at the end is non-negotiable.
  • Thin slicing for ginger and garlic makes an actual difference in how fast they infuse and how evenly the flavor spreads through the broth; thicker slices leave you with a less cohesive flavor.
03 -
  • Buy miso paste from the refrigerated section of a well-stocked grocery store or Asian market—shelf-stable versions sometimes have additives, and you want the real thing.
  • Slice your ginger and garlic as thinly as you possibly can; thicker slices won't infuse properly in the 10-minute window, leaving you with less flavor and more texture.
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