Kale Daikon Miso Soup

Boost the fiber and nutrients of any meal with my cozy Kale Daikon Miso Soup recipe. It’s a delicious way to pair the umami-rich miso broth with the veggies in your fridge. This soup is vegan/vegetarian adaptable and ready in just 20 minutes.

Sushi shops and Japanese restaurants typically offer classic miso soup on their menus. However, many Japanese home cooks like me create countless variations of this versatile soup depending on what’s in season and in the fridge. My cozy Kale Daikon Miso Soup recipe is one variation that boosts the fiber and nutrition of this umami-rich soup.

If you love Japanese miso soup, try my Homemade Miso Soup, Tonjiru, and Kansai-style Ozoni recipes next!

Why I Love This Recipe

• A light and healthy soup – Our daily miso soup is an important part of a balanced diet in Japan, and this version is packed with fiber and nutrients.
• A delicious way to cook kale – These power greens taste wonderful paired with sweet, tender daikon in an umami-rich miso broth.
• My quick dashi saves time – See my instructions for my favorite quick way to make a flavorful Japanese soup stock in just 5 minutes.

Ingredients for Kale Daikon Miso Soup

• Kale
• Daikon radish
• Miso 
• Dashi packets and water
• Dried wakame seaweed – pre-cut

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Substitutions

• Kale: I used curly kale, but Tuscan (lacinato or dinosaur) kale is equally delicious.
• Miso: Any type will work. Since some miso types are saltier than others, I recommend starting with the lesser amount, then tasting the soup to decide if you want to add more.
• Dashi packets: I love using these convenient packets. They make a quick dashi in 5 minutes that tastes nearly as good as Awase Dashi from scratch. In a pinch, you can use dashi powder and water to make an instant stock, but it’s not as flavorful. You can also make plant-based Vegan Dashi.

How to Make Kale Daikon Miso Soup

Preparation

Step 1 – Cut the daikon. Peel and quarter it lengthwise. Then, thinly slice it crosswise.

Step 2 – Prepare the kale. Strip the kale leaves from the tough stems and chop the leafy greens into bite-sized pieces.

Cooking

Step 3 – Make the dashi. Bring a few cups water, the dashi packets, and the daikon to a boil and cook briefly, then discard the packets.

Step 4 – Add the kale. Cover and simmer until both the kale and daikon are perfectly tender, about 5 minutes. The daikon should appear translucent, and the kale should be wilted. Turn off the heat.

Assemble

Step 5 – Add the miso and wakame. Dissolve the miso paste before releasing it to the soup. Sprinkle in the dried wakame and stir to combine and rehydrate.

Step 6 – Serve. Serve hot in individual bowls and enjoy!

Nami’s Recipe Tips

• Cut the daikon into thin pieces – Thin slices cook more quickly and are easier to pick up with chopsticks when enjoying the soup.
• Cook the veggies until perfectly tender – Test for tender kale and daikon with your fingers or a bamboo skewer that pierces the radish easily.
• Add the miso right before serving – I always turn off the heat before adding miso to the broth. This preserves its best flavor and aroma. Never boil miso!
• Dissolve the paste first – Always dissolve the miso in a ladle or separate bowl—never add it directly to the soup or you may end up with chunks of paste in your bowl. I like to use a convenient miso muddler and fine-mesh miso strainer for this job, too.
• Start with less miso – Some types are higher sodium than others, so I recommend adding 3 Tbsp miso paste (the lesser amount) to start. Then, taste the soup and decide if you want to add more. The miso that I used has a mild flavor, so I added an extra tablespoon of paste.
• Don’t cook the wakame – Simply sprinkle this dried seaweed into the hot soup to rehydrate just before serving.

Variations and Customizations

• Try cabbage. Instead of kale, change things up with chopped green cabbage or napa cabbage.
• Use Japanese turnips. Swap out the daikon for Japanese turnips (kabu) when they’re in season. With a mild sweet taste and crunchy texture, kabu are so delicious in soup. You can even chop up and add the leafy turnip greens, too.
• Add deep-fried tofu pouches. For extra protein and savory flavor, try adding plant-based aburaage.
• Top with green onions. Aromatic chopped scallions are a classic garnish to sprinkle onto miso soup.
• Make it vegan/vegetarian. Use Vegan Dashi or Kombu Dashi to make it plant based.

What to Serve with Kale Daikon Miso Soup

Miso soup is so versatile and goes well with many dishes. Below are a few to try.

• With fish – Teriyaki Salmon makes a lovely main dish.
• With a rice bowl – Serve it alongside chicken and egg Oyakodon.
• With a vegetable side – Japanese Simmered Kabocha is a classic side dish.
• With pickles – Complete the meal with Japanese Pickled Cucumbers.

Storage and Reheating Tips

To store: It‘s best to consume all the miso soup right away because it will lose its aroma and taste as time passes. Completely cool any leftover soup and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. You also can freeze miso soup for up to 2 weeks. 

To reheat: Bring it to a bare simmer in a pot over medium heat, but do not boil it. Miso loses its nutrients, flavor, and aroma at high temperatures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add other aromatics?

You could certainly add Tokyo negi (Japanese long onion), garlic chives, chopped medium leek, spring onion, or grated fresh ginger to the soup broth. I do not recommend garlic cloves or shallots as they are not typical ingredients in miso soup or traditional Japanese cooking.

What can I use instead of daikon?

If you don’t care for daikon or turnips, you can try other root vegetables like parsnips, rutabaga, large carrots, or potato. For a meaty texture, try adding shiitake mushrooms.

Can I add additional seasonings?

Try a tsp of sesame oil, some drops of Japanese chili oil, or a few grinds of black pepper. You can add salt, but be sure to taste the soup first, as miso paste already contains a lot of sodium.

How do I add more protein to this dish?

You can tear a block of firm tofu into bite-sized cubes with your hands. Let the excess water drain from the tofu first, then add the chunks to the soup pot.

Kale Daikon Miso Soup

No ratings yet Boost the fiber and nutrients of any meal with my cozy Kale Daikon Miso Soup recipe. It's a delicious way to pair the umami-rich miso broth with the veggies in your fridge. This soup is vegan/vegetarian adaptable and ready in just 20 minutes. Print Pin Prep Time: 5 minutes minsCook Time: 15 minutes minsTotal Time: 20 minutes mins Servings: 4

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x

• ▢ 3.5 oz daikon radish (1¼ inches, 3 cm)
• ▢ 2 oz kale (I used curly kale, but you can also use Tuscan kale)
• ▢ 3 cups water
• ▢ 2 dashi packets (to make quick dashi; you can also make Awase Dashi from scratch or instant dashi with dashi powder and water)
• ▢ 3–4 Tbsp miso (any miso type; start with the lesser amount and add more later, to taste)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed (pre-cut)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Ingredients

• Peel 3.5 oz daikon radish and cut it lengthwise in quarters.
• Thinly slice the daikon crosswise.
• Strip the leaves off the tough stems of 2 oz kale. Coarsely chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

To Cook

• Add the daikon, 3 cups water, and 2 dashi packets to a medium saucepan. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
• Once the water is boiling, shake the dashi packets with cooking chopsticks to release more flavor. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, for 2–3 minutes. Discard the packets.
• Add the kale leaves to the pot and stir it all together. Cover and simmer until the daikon and kale are tender, about 5 minutes.
• I used my finger to check that they're cooked, but you can also pierce a piece of daikon with a bamboo skewer to make sure it goes through easily. The daikon should appear translucent, and the kale should be wilted. When both are perfectly tender, turn off the heat.

To Add the Miso and Wakame

• With heat turned off, add 3 Tbsp miso to a ladleful of hot stock. Mix with chopsticks to dissolve it completely, then stir it into the broth. I use a miso muddler to measure and dissolve the paste; you can also use a fine-mesh miso strainer instead of a ladle. Now, taste the soup and add more miso, if needed. If it‘s too salty, dilute it with more water or dashi, if you have any. I added another 1 Tbsp miso since the particular miso I used has a mild flavor.
• Add 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed to the soup and stir to combine and rehydrate. We add wakame to the soup right before serving to keep its fresh aroma and color. Tip: If you worry about salt intake, I recommend rehydrating the dried wakame in a separate bowl of water first to get rid of the saltiness.
• Serve immediately in individual bowls and enjoy. Place on the right side of the table setting; you can read about how to serve it at the table in my post Ichiju Sansai (One Soup Three Dishes).

To Store

• It‘s best to consume all the miso soup right away because it will lose its aroma and taste as time passes. Completely cool any leftover soup and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. You also can freeze miso soup for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, bring it to a bare simmer in a pot over medium heat, but do not boil it. Miso loses its nutrients, flavor, and aroma at high temperatures.

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen Course: SoupCuisine: JapaneseKeyword: miso soup ©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.