It’s high time for a good spring soup recipe! And if there were ever a soup to kick off asparagus season, this Bacon Asparagus Miso Soup would be it. Here, I have fresh green asparagus joined with chunks of potatoes and slices of salty bacon to constitute a nourishing miso soup that will leave you feeling satisfied without being weighed down. It’s simple to make, full of flavor, and ideal for a light yet substantial lunch or dinner. Ready to try this miso soup combination? Go grab the freshest asparagus from your local grocery store or farmers’ market now! You’ll be glad you gave this a try. It will get you into the seasonal spirit right away.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Makes for a filling soup but not at all heavy. It will satisfy your appetite and fuel you with energy. Packed with a ton of nutrients! You get antioxidants and vitamin K from the asparagus, potassium from the potatoes, protein from the bacon, and plenty of essential minerals from the miso soup base! Full of savory goodness and beautiful texture. Unlike Western-style asparagus and potato soup that is typically blended, this Japanese soup maintains the textural integrity of the ingredients, making it a surprising delight to enjoy.
Ingredients for This Recipe
How to Make Bacon Asparagus Miso Soup
Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below. Here’s a quick summary.
Substitution Tips and Variations
You can certainly use and experiment with other ingredients as well.
If you don’t have bacon on hand, try another flavorful protein or seasoning meat like sliced pork belly, smoked ham, smoked turkey, or mild sausage. For plant-based alternatives, you can use baked tofu, smoked tofu, shiitake mushrooms, or any other mushrooms. You can use any mild-tasting green vegetable in place of the asparagus. A few that come to mind include sugar snap peas, green beans, broccolini, zucchini, snow peas, and artichoke. Experiment with what’s in season in your area. In place of the russet potato, you can use any variety like Yukon gold or red potato. Or, think out of the box and try another root vegetable like turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, celery root, or kohlrabi. Cauliflower can also be a potato substitute. For a touch of heat, mix in some shichimi togarashi, yuzu kosho, or even a dab of gochujang!
Recipe Tips and Techniques
Make dashi using a dashi packet or prepare it from scratch. I always recommend avoiding dashi powder, especially when making miso soup, because the flavor is much weaker. Cook the bacon first to render the fat, which allows you to soak it up with a paper towel and enhances the flavor. Cut the potatoes into small, uniform chunks, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces, to speed up the cooking process while minimizing the risk of them breaking apart. Diagonally cut asparagus so it will cook more quickly. Add miso paste right before serving to enjoy its best flavor and aroma!
How to Store
It‘s best to consume all the miso soup immediately because it will lose its aroma and taste over time. If you‘d like to keep leftovers, cool the soup to room temperature (no longer than 4 hours), store in an airtight container, and keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or 2 weeks in the freezer. When ready to use, reheat in a pot over medium heat, but do not boil. If you want to make a big batch to store for later, it‘s best to refrigerate the soup without adding the miso. When ready to use, add the miso paste only for the portion you need.
What to Serve with This Miso Soup
As I mentioned, this bacon asparagus miso soup makes a great lunch soup to accompany a simple bowl of rice or fried rice. You can also serve the soup as part of your dinner, especially in an ichiju sansai (one soup, three dishes) format.
Rice – Steamed Rice, Brown Rice, Mame Gohan (Green Pea Rice), Fried Rice Main – Chicken Teriyaki, Niratama Donburi, Salmon in Foil Salad – Soba Salad, Green Bean Shiraae, Japanese Kani Salad Sides – Simmered Ganmodoki, Everyday Japanese Pickles
Let’s Cook Miso Soup for Miso Day
This recipe is part of my Miso Soup Day (味噌の日) series, where I share a new miso soup on the 30th of every month to encourage readers like you to enjoy the soup as part of your diet. As miso soup is a staple of Japanese cuisine and offers incredible health benefits, I hope you will always come back to try out different versions of the soup. Check out my collection of miso soup recipes! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
