Miso Soup with Potatoes is simply a delicious, comforting bowl you’ll want seconds and thirds of.
One of the my most requested soups to make is Miso Soup, especially from my youngest. Boy, does he love his soup! So much so, he’s on his 3rd large bowl right now.
We’re having a “Mom & Me” hang out afternoon since he’s not feeling well and of course, I had to make him his favorite, feel good soup.
In case you’ve never heard of this soup, it actually Miso Soup but growing up, my husband always called it Potato Dirt Soup because of the cloudy, light brown color. It is actually, one of the first Korean dishes he made for me when we first were married, but over the years, it has transferred hands and now I am the maker of this simple and delicious soup.
Typically, miso soup consists of miso paste (fermented soybeans) dissolved into a pot of boiling water then brought to a simmer (you don’t want to boil the miso since it will remove so many of the healthy benefits). Cubed soft tofu and/or slices of shiitake mushrooms are sometimes added for texture and substance.
I love adding tofu, but the kids fell in love with our American version of it, using cubed potatoes so that’s what we use the most. It’s especially a great option for anyone not wanting to add extra soy to a soy based soup.
To amp of the nutritional value, I like to add a big ‘old piece of Kombu to the pot as the water is boiling. Kombu, is a seaweed that is rich in vitamins and minerals such as iodine. It also contains large quantities of potassium, which helps to reduce blood pressure. Usually, I just remove the large piece right before serving, but you can also cut it into strips after its softened from the boil then add it to your soup bowl for an extra layer of interest.
My mother-in-law always added a few tablespoons of this brown powder to her Potato Dirt Soup for added flavor but later, I found out it was actually dried beef powder. At the time, I wasn’t vegan, but once I changed my eating, I decided to find an alternate source for this flavor. I decided to use Tamari sauce or Gluten-free soy sauce to take the place of the beef flavoring. This adds a bit of saltiness to this simple miso soup but you can also use veggie stock in place of the water and add in your soy sauce, to have a more intense broth. A vegan beef bullion substitute would work also, if you have one you really like.
So grab your ingredients,
And get your soup on.
Potato Dirt Soup (a.k.a. Miso Soup)
This simple, yet delicious soup is the perfect blend American & Asian blend. Miso soup using diced potatoes instead of tofu, brings a new dimension of interest to our family favorite.
Ingredients
- 6-8 C. water
- 3 heaping TB. of white miso paste
- 2-3 TB. tamari or soy sauce
- 1 piece of kombu (if using)
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add miso paste and stir to dissolve.
- Add in tamari (or soy) and your piece of kombu.
- Carefully, add diced potatoes to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until potatoes have softened, 15-20 minutes.
- Season with extra tamari if desired.
- Remove kombu from broth and toss.
- Ladle into soup bowls and serve.
- To change-up your soup:
- Remove potatoes and serve broth as is.
- Replace potatoes with Tofu.
- Try adding in other ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, scallions or udon noodles.
What an interesting take! I love miso soup, but have never had potatoes in it. I can imagine it is very tasty though! Miso and potatoes..yes!
And you can always just use tofu if you prefer. Sometimes when we are out of potatoes, then I head for the tofu.
Keep these aritlces coming as they’ve opened many new doors for me.
You know I have tried miso soup. I adore potatoes ini soup though. They go so sweet and delicious.
That’s the best looking dirt I’ve ever seen! So great that your son loves it. From the looks of it, I’m going to love it too!
Thanks Kelly, Dirt (soup) is delicious! Can’t wait for you to try it.
I love potato soup, but I’ve never made it with miso. I have to try it!
I love potato soup and soup in general, never heard of dirt soup before!
I don’t think my mother-in-law would call it that, but we sure like the name π
An interesting name for an interesting soup
Thanks! My kids love calling it that….freaks the guests out a little when I serve it for a get-together.
I LOVE the idea of adding potatoes! this sounds great, I will have to try it the next time I make miso…
Hope you love it as much as we do.
I’ve never had anything like this! But I want to. Next time I’m at the store I’m scoring some miso paste!
Let me know what you think? Can’t wait for you to try it
Haha! I love the name. It’s so cold in Chicago today, this is just what I need to warm up.
It’s cold here in Tulsa also so this soup is always on rotation, especially this winter. Stay warm!
I have never heard of using potato cubes instead of tofu, what a great idea though! I love using kombu in all my asian broths – adds such a great flavour!
What an awesome soup name π I love miso so this sounds perfect for me π
this doesn’t look dirty at all π
Love the soup name though, hahaha. Really interesting! my last attempt to make a miso soup failed badly, will have to give it another shot!
This sounds so delicious, Nicole! Never had something like this before! :-)I love the name of it!