Did you know there are hundreds of varieties of Japanese miso soup? You’re probably familiar with tofu and wakame seaweed as the mainstream ingredients. Another popular choice in Japan is Japanese Clam Miso Soup (あさりの味噌汁), and it’s one of my favorites! It’s typically made with asari or Manila clams, but you can use different kinds of clams for this recipe. Read on and I’ll show you how to prepare the fresh clams for this easy and delicate soup.
What is Japanese Clam Miso Soup?
Japanese clam miso soup or asari no miso shiru (あさりの味噌汁) is a dish enjoyed in households and restaurants throughout Japan. As the name suggests, asari or Manila clam is the classic variety for traditional Japanese clam miso soup. You can use different types of clams in this recipe, too. Just be sure to use good quality, fresh clams. It’s important to use clams as the only ingredient in the soup. That means no tofu or wakame seaweed. You do not want to mix the delicate clam taste with flavors from other ingredients. Here, I use Kombu Dashi, a Japanese soup stock made from dried kelp. It has a light and clean umami flavor that pairs beautifully with the delicate clam stock. This is a departure from the standard Awase Dashi with katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes) and kombu that I use for classic miso soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
flavorful and delicious so easy to make! a fancier version of the ordinary miso soup additional protein and nutrition
Ingredients You’ll Need
Manila clams – called asari in Japanese; feel free to use other types of fresh, good-quality clams kombu (dried kelp) water miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste) – I use koji miso or awase miso, but you can use any type of miso you have scallions/green onions – chopped; for garnish to round out the dish beautifully.
If you prefer a clear broth without miso, try my Japanese clear clam soup called Ushiojiru.
How to De-Grit and Clean Clams
It’s important to de-grit and clean the clams before cooking them. No one wants to taste or feel sand in their food. You can find various articles on the Internet on how to de-grit clams, and they will probably work. In the US, popular methods include using cornmeal to get the sand out. Clams ingest the cornmeal, then purge out the sand and grit. In Japan, however, fishermen and housewives all use saltwater; it’s how I de-grit and clean clams, too. If you are interested in the Japanese way, here’s a quick overview; see my tutorial on how to clean clams for detailed instructions and step-by-step photos.
How To Make Japanese Clam Miso Soup
I hope you will give this easy miso clam soup a try! It’s a real treat to enjoy fresh clams this way.
Other Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Ushiojiru – Japanese clam soup with clear broth Sanpeijiru – Hokkaido-style salted salmon soup Harusame Soup – Japanese glass noodle soup Kenchinjiru – vegan Japanese vegetable soup with clear broth Miso Soup with Yuzu Kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste)
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