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
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Heat sesame oil in a small pot.
Add green onions.
Cook for a few minutes while stirring frequently.
Add 2 ½ cups of water.
Bring to a boil.
Finish the soup
Dissolve miso in the remaining ½ cup of water.
Add the dissolved miso to the pot.
Lower the heat.
Add mushrooms, seaweed, and tofu, if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 9 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Miso | 1 tbsp (18g) | 34 |
| Mushrooms | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Cake | not in our table | 0 |
| Seaweed | 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.
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 pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together75 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Sesame + tofutop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together250 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Sesame + misotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together121 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Sesame + oniontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,192 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Miso + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together182 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Miso
- Provides salty, savoury depth and flavour to the broth.
- Tofu
- Adds soft texture and absorbs the surrounding broth flavour.
- Mushrooms
- Add savoury, earthy flavour and a tender chew to the soup.
The step that matters
Dissolve miso in water before adding it to the pot. Miso paste clumps when added straight to hot liquid. Dissolving it first in a little water spreads it evenly, so the broth tastes uniform. Keeping the soup just below a boil after adding miso helps preserve its delicate aroma.
Swap the onion
The recipe marks onion as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sesame, miso, tofu, mushroom, shrimp, seaweed):
- Welsh onionfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Chivefits about as well
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sesame, miso, tofu, mushroom, shrimp, seaweed. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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