Watch How to Make Miso Soup Without a Recipe

Here at Food52, we love recipes -- but do we always use them? Of course not. Because once you realize you don't always need a recipe, you'll make your favorite dishes a lot more often.

Today: Making miso soup at home can be faster than takeout -- if you know what you're doing. Watch Kristen and Erin share their tips for making subtle, savory miso soup -- no recipe required.

Armed with miso, dashi, and any assortment of add-ins you like, miso soup can be your weeknight staple, like a hug after a rough day. In this video in our new weekly series with The New York Times, watch Executive Editor Kristen Miglore and Test Kitchen Manager Erin McDowell share good tips and tricks for making a subtle, savory miso soup that would rival any restaurant's. Plus, when do you get to choose what ingredients are floating in your soup when you go out?

Video by Kyle Orosz