The Miso Cookbook: 87 Umami-Rich Recipes Using Japan’s Incredible Probiotic Superfood, written by Misa Enomoto, features a comforting assortment of sweet and savory recipes using homemade or store-bought miso with detailed guides and step-by-step photos. A few highlights include Mushroom Miso Soup, Miso Butter Toast, Miso Chicken Patties, Miso Cheesecake, and Kinako Miso Truffles. I will also be sharing her recipe for Miso Scrambled Eggs following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from Tuttle Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.
The Miso Cookbook is currently available for preorder and set to release on April 28th, 2026. It was originally published in Japan under the name, Karada ga Totonou “Hitoban Hakko Miso,” in 2021 and was translated into English by Makiko Itoh.
Misa Enomoto
Misa Enomoto specializes in making miso and seasonings using koji, with a focus on fermentation. Her work can be found on her website: futari-gohan.jp, her Youtube Channel: Misa Enomoto’s Seasonal Cooking, and on Instagram: Misa_Enomoto.
She is also the author of Fermentation for Life.
The Miso Cookbook
Misa begins The Miso Cookbook with a short introduction before going over a detailed guide for miso, its nutrients, and how to make a quick (or more traditional) version at home using either a rice cooker, yogurt maker, slow cooker, or sous vide machine. She has also put together a glossary at the back of the book with an overview of notable Japanese ingredients.
Chapters are divided according to the following: All About Homemade Overnight Miso; Homemade Miso Makes the Best Miso Soup!; Instant Miso Soup; Simply Seasoned Snacks; Main Dishes; Pickles and Marinades; Everyday Sides; Dressings, Sauces and Dips; Sweet Treats with Miso; and Fermented Seasonings. The contents page has a list of included recipes with page number for easy reference.
Every recipe is paired with at least one quarter to full page photo of the finished dish. There are also quite a few step-by-step photos demonstrating how to make homemade miso and fermented seasonings.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, helpful notes, and often storage tips.
Miso Scrambled Eggs
To pair with the review, we made Misa’s Miso Scrambled Eggs!
My kids have been learning how to make scrambled eggs at home and this version incorporates a bit of white miso for a gentle blend of sweet and savory flavors. Best of all, it all comes together in minutes with only four ingredients.
Simply beat the eggs with the miso until blended, then pan-fry until just set and softly scrambled.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions. We also enjoyed the eggs alongside freshly steamed rice and soup.
More Miso
I also made the Onion and Carrot Miso Soup with Ginger, Miso Soy Milk Tantanmen, Cucumber with Vinegar Miso, and Miso Milk Pudding.
I happened to have all the ingredients for the Onion and Carrot Miso Soup with Ginger on hand and it was such a comforting use for leftovers. Slices of onion and carrot are simmered in a dashi stock until tender, then finished with finely shredded ginger and homemade or white miso.
The Miso Soy Milk Tantanmen is a soothing variation of tantanmen with both white miso and soy milk in the broth. It is paired with Chinese noodles and seasoned ground pork for a fantastic blend of flavors.
The Cucumber with Vinegar Miso was a personal favorite. Thinly sliced cucumbers are coated in a blend of homemade or white miso, mirin, rice vinegar, and just a little karashi (Japanese mustard) for a subtle kick. It can also be made 3-4 days in advance for a quick, make-ahead side.
Along with all the savory options, there are a few sweet desserts and snacks. The Miso Milk Pudding is made with a mixture of milk, sugar, miso, gelatin, and cream, then transferred to individual dishes and chilled for a few hours in the refrigerator to set. Misa states, “the salty umami of the miso adds complexity to the milk’s natural sweetness.”
The Miso Cookbook is a wonderful pick whether you are looking to learn how to make miso at home or are simply wanting to incorporate store-bought miso into a variety of sweet and savory recipes. There is a nice blend of options from satisfying soups and small bites to larger meals, noodles, rice, and desserts. Some come together in as little as 10 minutes while the homemade miso requires an overnight fermentation and a few months for the traditional miso.
Having a market with Japanese ingredients nearby will be helpful in locating items such as fresh rice koji, sake lees, yuzu kosho, nagaimo, komatsuna, shirasu boshi, dried sakura shrimp, myoga, mitsuba, shiso, lotus root, takana, kinako, and more.
Miso Scrambled Eggs Recipe
Excerpt from The Miso Cookbook
Miso Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs beaten (I used large eggs)
- 1 tablespoon homemade miso or white miso
- green part of a scallion finely sliced
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Mix the egg and miso together, pour into the pan and stir until softly scrambled.
- Transfer to serving plates and garnish with the scallion.
Mimi Rippee
Thanks! It’s good to know about this cookbook!