Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup)
Delicate miso soup with clams and scallion.
Ingredients
- 500 g Clams
- 3 tbsp Miso
- 1 Kombu (dried kelp)
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 2 Scallions (optional)
Method
- Make a simple kombu dashi: wipe the kombu, slip it into a pot of cold water, and bring it slowly up to just below a simmer over medium heat, then lift the kombu out before the water boils (boiling kombu turns the broth bitter).
- While the dashi heats, thinly slice the scallions and set them aside for garnish.
- Add the clams and sake to the dashi, cover, and simmer over medium heat until the shells open, about 5 minutes, discarding any that stay shut.
- Take the pot off the heat, then whisk the miso through a small sieve or ladle into the broth until fully dissolved — keep it just below a simmer from here so it never boils.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, scatter the sliced scallion over, and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup)
Asari no miso shiru is a clam miso soup that belongs to the everyday Japanese table, where miso soup is less a course than a quiet constant of the meal. It starts, as good Japanese soups do, with dashi, and this one uses a gentle kombu dashi drawn slowly from dried kelp in cold water. Asari clams and a splash of sake go into that broth, and as the shells open they release their own sweet, briny liquor, deepening the stock far beyond what the kombu alone provides. The soup is finished by dissolving miso in off the heat, never boiling it, which would blunt its aroma and turn it harsh.
The result is delicate and clean rather than heavy, the broth savory and faintly sweet from the clams, with the salt and umami of miso rounding it out and thin-sliced scallion adding a fresh bite. Because it leans entirely on the clams and a small amount of miso, it stays light and protein-forward, the kind of bowl that feels restorative alongside rice and a simple main. It comes together in about fifteen minutes, which is part of its everyday appeal. The two things worth watching are pulling the kombu before the water boils and stirring the miso in gently at the end, since both mistakes cost you the soup's clarity.
Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup)?
A serving has about 149 calories — 20.4g protein, 9.3g carbs, 2g fat, 1.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup) gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup) has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Asari no Miso Shiru (Clam Miso Soup) make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.