Natto Miso Soup with Okra 納豆とオクラの味噌汁 (2024)

This Natto Miso Soup with Okra is easily one of the healthiest yet simplest soups you can make any time of the year! Despite the minimal ingredients, it is packed with good-for-your-gut and anti-inflammatory goodness. {Vegan-adaptable}

My mom used to recite a Japanese proverb, ‘味噌汁は不老長寿の薬’ (miso shiru wa furou chouju no kusuri), which literally means “Miso soup is medicine for eternal youth and longevity,” at the dinner table. It was probably her way of making sure we finished every drop of the miso soup she served with the meal.

The kotowaza (proverb) was a bold claim, but it really captures the power of miso soup and its importance in Japanese culture. If you wish to discover more, I have this recipe for Natto Miso Soup with Okra, one of the most nutritious soups for you to try!

Natto Miso Soup’s Health Benefits

Natto miso soup, also known as natto-jiru (納豆汁), is a popular style of miso soup featuring chopped natto with one or more types of vegetables. If you’ve only tried natto on its own or with rice, adding natto to miso soup is another delicious way to incorporate fermented soybeans into your diet.

In Japan, foods with a slimy texture are known as neba neba (ネバネバ) and are considered nutritious and good for strengthening the body and recovering from fatigue, especially to help prevent summer fatigue. These slimy foods such as okra and natto are are high in fiber, antioxidants, and minerals.

The slightly bitter tang of natto complements the creamy savoriness of miso soup, and its slimy texture tends to dissipate in the broth. In this recipe, I added okra to give the soup an extra boost of texture, color, and nutritional value—okra is rich in vitamins A and C, folate, as well as antioxidants and minerals like magnesium!

If you’re curious, read this study that shines a spotlight on the nutritional importance and health advantages of natto miso soup, especially its effect of aging!

Why You’ll Love This Miso Soup

• It’s extremely nourishing, restorative, and good for digestion.
• Light, soothing, and unexpectedly delicious. Some might find the texture of these unique foods a challenge, but they are indeed considered special by those who appreciate them.
• Super simple to make! You will need only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare this super healthy soup! “Easiest ever” is not an exaggeration at all.

Ingredients for This Recipe

• Dashi packets— This is the fastest and most convenient way to makedashi (Japanese soup stock). I use the Kayanoya brand, which you can get onAmazonor from Japanese grocery stores.
• Water
• Okra — The Japanese use this vegetable in many dishes, and we love its unique texture.
• Natto (Japanese Fermented Soybeans)
• Miso — Any type will do. See my brand recommendation on ourPantry Page. I used my favorite miso for this recipe.

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Substitution Tips and Variations

• If you’re vegan/vegetarian, make Vegan Dashi to make this recipe.
• If okra is not your thing, you can use other ingredients such as shimeji mushrooms, wakame seaweed, or fresh leafy greens.

How to Make Natto Miso Soup with Okra

1. Make the dashi (Japanese soup stock):Add water and dashi packet to a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, for 2–3 minutes. Then, discard the dashi packet.
2. Cook the ingredients:Add okra and natto to the simmering dashi. Let it cook for one minute. Turn off the heat.
3. Add the miso and serve:Stir inthe miso paste until dissolved. Taste and adjust. Serve the soup in individual soup bowls, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Make dashi using adashi packetorprepare it from scratch.I always recommend avoidingdashi powder, especially when making miso soup, because the flavor is much weaker.
• Be careful when you slice the okras with a knife as they can get slimy.
• Do not let the soup boil after the natto and miso are added. Turn off the heat when it is hot enough and do not simmer for a long time, or else the nattokinase bacteria will perish.
• (Ground) toated sesame seeds add a nice aroma and texture to the soup, but it’s optional.

How to Store

I highly recommend consuming the miso soup immediately because it will lose its aroma and taste over time. Since this miso soup is so easy to make, it’s best to make it from scratch when you need it.

If you happen to have some 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.

What to Serve with This Miso Soup

As it takes minutes to prepare, I enjoy making this natto miso soup to go with my leftovers lunch. It is also excellent as part of your dinner, especially in anichiju sansai(one soup, three dishes) format.

• Rice–Steamed Rice,Brown Rice,Takikomi Gohan (Mixed Rice), Fried Rice
• Main–Butter Shoyu Chicken,Garlic Onion Chicken, Miso Butter Salmon, Salted Salmon
• Salad & Pickles–Soba Salad,Everyday Japanese Pickles, Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing

Let’s Cook Miso Soup for Miso Day

This recipe is part of myMiso 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.

Please check outmy collection of miso soup recipes here, and I hope you will always come back to try out different versions of the soup.

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