Miso & Kelp Winter Soup

Name: Miso & Kelp Winter Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Dried kelp — 1 sheet; Miso paste — 3 tbsp; Tofu — 1/2 block, cubed; Scallions — 2 stalks; Water — 6 cups

Water Element · 水 Salty Cool

When the days get short, this is the soup I want: salty, mineral, and quietly grounding.

Prep 25 min

Servings 4 servings

Element Water 水

Total 25 min

By FiveFlavor Kitchen Reviewed by Dr. M. Wu, L.Ac. Updated August 17, 2026

Why This Elixir Works

Salty is the flavor of the Kidney and of winter. Kelp is mineral-rich and traditionally used to soften and descend; miso adds depth and supports digestion.

Water element · Salty phase of the five-flavor cycle

Ingredients

Dried kelp 1 sheet
Miso paste 3 tbsp
Tofu 1/2 block, cubed
Scallions 2 stalks
Water 6 cups

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The Refining Process

Step 1
Simmer kelp in water 15 minutes. Remove and slice into strips.
Step 2
Return kelp to the pot, add tofu, and heat through.
Step 3
Turn off the heat. Dissolve miso in a ladle of broth, then stir in.
Step 4
Top with scallions. Do not boil after adding miso.

Alchemist's Note

Salty and grounding — ideal in winter. Those on low-sodium diets should adjust miso. Educational purposes only.

Kelp and miso bring the salty flavor — the flavor of depth — to a quick, warming soup that tastes of the sea and the earth at once.