Miso balls for easy instant miso soup
Food researcher Yamato Yuka fell in love with camping as a child and now enjoys mountain climbing with her husband. She is an avid outdoor cook, and, for her, miso soup is a must-have mountain meal.
“On day hikes, I keep it simple with onigiri rice balls and miso soup. I started bringing homemade miso balls with me because when I finally reach a refreshing spot surrounded by the great outdoors, I want to eat something equally natural and healthy. It’s cold up in the mountains, so having something warm to eat is a welcome relief.”
Miso balls are the base for her instant miso soup: just pour in hot water. During a sweaty mountain climb, you need to replenish your salt and water. This makes miso soup the logical go-to outdoor fare, as it is a good source for both.
Making miso soup from miso balls is a snap, but what makes a standout soup is adding umami flavor. This is because unlike preparing miso soup at home, you can’t form the stock from just the miso.
“Miso dissolved in hot water by itself doesn’t taste very good. That’s why I mix in dried bonito flakes and add other ingredients to create a broth, which brings out a richer flavor.”
Yamato recommends dried ingredients, like dried wakame seaweed, sea lettuce, slices of dried enoki and shiitake mushrooms, shredded kelp, and dried green onions. In addition to hearty dried fu gluten, dried daikon radish strips, and bite-sized freeze-dried tofu, putting in dried tomatoes can add a surprising tasty flavor.
“You can enjoy a Western-flavored soup by mixing tomato paste or mashed potato flakes in with the miso. I recommend miso balls not just for outdoor expeditions but also for office workers. They can be stored for about a week, so making a large batch in advance is useful. You can pack them in your lunchbox or keep some in your desk drawer.”
You can make miso balls in an endless variety of flavors, so they are great for outdoor activities as well as for breakfast or at work when time is short. Use Yamato’s recipes as a starting point and have fun coming up with your own favorite combinations.
Yamato Yuka’s miso ball recipes
●Basic miso ball recipe
【Ingredients (single-person serving)】
Miso paste…1/2 tablespoon
Dried bonito flakes (in powdered form)…1/4 teaspoon
【Directions】
Knead the bonito flakes into the miso paste and then form into dumpling-sized balls.
●Sesame miso ball recipe
【Ingredients (single-person serving)】
Barley miso paste…1/2 tablespoon
Sesame paste…1/4 teaspoon
A pinch of roasted sesame seeds to taste
【Directions】
Mix the sesame paste and roasted sesame seeds into the barley miso paste and then form into dumpling-sized balls.
●Tekka miso ball recipe
[miso combined with root vegetables and mushrooms, and seasoned with saké]
【Ingredients (four-person serving)】
Burdock root…10 grams (cut into long, thin shavings)
Carrot…20 grams (cut into thin strips)
Maitake mushroom…20 grams (broken into small bunches)
Miso paste…2 tablespoons
Saké…1 tablespoon
【Directions】
① Combine the burdock root, carrot, maitake mushroom, and saké in a small pot and heat over low heat.
② Cover with a lid when warm and cook until the burdock root and carrot are slightly soft.
③ Add the miso paste to the pot, mix well, and continue to cook until the water has evaporated and the mixture becomes somewhat thick and sticky. Form into dumpling-sized balls.
★Making miso soup from miso balls★
Place a miso ball in a cup with your favorite ingredients and dissolve in 180 to 200 mL of hot water. Enjoy your hot cup of delicious miso soup!
＜Helpful tips＞
・Basic miso balls and sesame miso balls can be stored at room temperature. Tekka miso balls should be kept refrigerated.
・When making miso soup in very cold environments, like in the mountains in winter, the miso balls will become cold and the resulting soup will be only lukewarm even after adding hot water. It is best in this situation to first reheat the miso balls by putting them in hot water on a portable camp stove.
