Name: Miso Soup with Tofu
Ingredients: 6 cups water; 1 piece kombu; 1/2 cup red miso; 1/2 cup white miso; 1/4 lb. firm tofu, drained and cubed; 1 scallion (white and pale green parts), chopped

Why it works: Miso and tofu share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 75 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓

Miso Soup with Tofu

Time15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the broth

Bring water and kombu to a boil in a large pot.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Finish the soup

Put red and white miso into a small heatproof bowl.
Add a small amount of kombu water and stir until smooth.
Pour the miso mixture into the soup and stir to mix.
Remove soup from heat.
Add tofu and scallion.
Season to taste with soy sauce.
Discard kombu before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

110Calories

10 gProtein

6 gFat

6 gCarbs

Counts 2 of 4 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 2 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Tofu	100g firm	76
Miso	1 tbsp (18g)	34
Water	not in our table	0
Kombu	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Miso + tofutop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together75 recipes

Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Kombu + tofutop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together11 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Kombu + misotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together8 recipes

Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Red miso: Adds savory, salty depth and fermented flavor to the broth.
White miso: Adds milder sweetness and body to the broth.
Firm tofu: Adds soft, mild protein pieces that absorb the surrounding broth flavor.
Kombu: Releases savory umami compounds into the water as it simmers.

The step that matters

Dissolving the miso before adding it to the pot. Miso clumps if stirred directly into hot soup. Thinning it first with a little warm broth creates a smooth paste that disperses evenly. Keeping the soup below a boil also protects the miso's delicate flavor and live cultures.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Miso Soup with Tofu