Print

Traditional Japanese Breakfast: Grilled Salmon & Miso Soup

Print Recipe

Start your day with a nourishing and beautifully balanced traditional Japanese breakfast featuring flaky grilled salmon and comforting miso soup. This complete culinary experience embodies harmony and health, making it an ideal way to begin your day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 skin-on, boneless salmon fillets (about 4–6 oz each, 1-inch thick)
  • Good quality sea salt or kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (optional glaze)
  • 1 tablespoon of a non-alcoholic cooking sweetener (like sugar or a non-alcoholic mirin alternative) (optional glaze)
  • A pinch of grated fresh ginger (optional glaze)
  • 4 cups of water (for dashi stock)
  • A 4-inch piece of konbu (dried kelp) (for dashi stock)
  • About 1/2 cup katsuobushi (bonito flakes, optional for a vegetarian version)
  • 1.5–2 teaspoons of instant dashi granules (optional for convenience)
  • 2–3 tablespoons of white (shiro) miso paste
  • About 4 oz silken or firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • About 1 tablespoon of dried wakame seaweed
  • 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced green onions (scallions)
  • 1 cup of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
  • 1.25 cups of water (for rice)
  • A small portion of store-bought Japanese pickles (like cucumber or daikon)
  • Several sheets of seasoned or unseasoned roasted nori
  • A simple fried egg or a small portion of natto (optional protein side)

Instructions

  1. Rinse 1 cup of Japanese short-grain rice thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine the rinsed rice with 1.25 cups of water in a rice cooker. Cook according to your rice cooker's instructions.
  2. If you don't have a rice cooker, combine in a heavy-bottomed pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for another 10 minutes before fluffing.
  3. Make the Dashi: If using dashi granules, dissolve 1.5-2 teaspoons in 4 cups of hot water in a medium saucepan. If making from scratch, place 4 cups of water and konbu in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the konbu. Add katsuobushi (if using), simmer for 1 minute, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.
  4. Bring the dashi back to a gentle simmer. Add the cubed tofu and dried wakame. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the wakame rehydrates and the tofu is heated through.
  5. In a small bowl, scoop a ladleful of the hot dashi. Add 2-3 tablespoons of miso paste and whisk until it's completely dissolved into a smooth slurry.
  6. Pour the dissolved miso mixture back into the saucepan with the dashi. Stir gently. Do NOT boil the soup after adding the miso.
  7. Stir in most of the sliced green onions just before serving, reserving a pinch for garnish.
  8. Pat the salmon fillets very dry with paper towels. Generously season both sides with salt. Heat a non-stick skillet or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of high-smoke-point oil if needed.
  9. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the salmon is cooked halfway up the side.
  10. Carefully flip the salmon. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until cooked through to your desired doneness. If using the non-alcoholic glaze, brush it on during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
  11. Fluff the cooked rice and serve a generous portion in a rice bowl.
  12. Pour the hot miso soup into a separate soup bowl and garnish with the reserved green onions.
  13. Place the grilled salmon on a plate.
  14. Arrange small portions of your chosen pickles, roasted nori, and any additional sides like a fried egg alongside.
  15. Serve immediately and enjoy your beautiful, nourishing traditional Japanese breakfast!

Nutrition

Keywords: For the best flavor, try making dashi from scratch. Remember to never boil miso soup after adding miso paste to preserve its flavor and beneficial probiotics.

Find it online: https://homebitesia.com/traditional-japanese-breakfast-grilled-salmon-miso-soup/