Comforting Japanese Meatball Miso Soup
This Japanese meatball miso soup is unlike any regular meatball soup you have tried before. It's a fusion of American and Chinese cuisines that complement well.
Equipment
Medium non-stick skillet (10-inch / 25cm)
Large soup pot or Dutch oven
Small mixing bowl
Ladle
Sharp knife and cutting board
Instant-read thermometer (recommended)
Ingredients
Mini-Meatballs
½ pound ground beef (minced beef) - lean, about 225g
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt - or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic - grated
1 teaspoon ginger - grated
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger - minced
- 1 clove garlic - minced
2 large carrots - peeled and sliced into ¼-inch / 5mm rounds, about 200g- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 cups water - 960ml- 2 tablespoons miso paste - light
- 1 tablespoon hondashi - instant dashi granules
- 1 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed
2 cups kale - stems removed, roughly chopped, about 70g
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, grated garlic, and grated ginger. Mix until just combined — do not overwork the meat.1/2 pound ground beef (minced beef), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger
- Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Using your hands, roll small meatballs (smaller than a ping pong ball) and place them in the skillet one at a time.1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Let them brown on the outside — toss them in the pan every minute or so until browned on all sides, about 5-6 minutes total. Slice the largest meatball in half to check doneness — the centre should show no pink and reach 160°F / 71°C (use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy). Cover, remove from heat, and set aside.
Soup Base
- Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in your soup pot. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 clove garlic
- Add your carrot and cook for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil for 2 minutes, and then reduce to a simmer.2 large carrots, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 cups water
- Next, add your miso paste. Trick: Place the miso paste in a ladle and then fill the ladle with hot water from the soup pot. Stir the miso paste in the ladle until it dissolves, and then add it to the pot. Be careful not to bring the soup broth to a boil — it'll jeopardize the miso flavour. Taste the broth and judge whether or not you want more miso.2 tablespoons miso paste
- Add the hondashi, wakame and kale. Keep the soup at a low simmer and cover for 5 minutes.1 tablespoon hondashi, 1 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed, 2 cups kale
- Serve hot! Divide meatballs among 4 bowls, then ladle the broth and vegetables over the top. For a spicy kick, stir in a small dab of garlic chilli paste (such as sambal oelek) to taste.
Notes
Storage: Keep meatballs and broth together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low-medium heat — never boil or the miso flavour will flatten.
Freezing: Freeze meatballs separately from the broth. Miso broth freezes for up to 1 month but the kale and wakame texture degrades. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Make-Ahead: Form and brown the meatballs up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Make the broth fresh when ready to serve for the best miso flavour.
Substitutions: Ground pork stays juicy at this size; ground chicken works but dries out faster — don't overcook (must reach 165°F / 74°C). White or mild yellow miso is ideal; red miso works but use less and taste as you go. Use low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium miso paste to reduce sodium.
Pro Tip: Always dissolve miso paste in a ladle of hot broth before adding it to the pot. This prevents clumping and ensures even distribution without needing to boil the soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 13gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1061mgPotassium: 358mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 7144IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
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