This Japanese Ingredient Will Give Mashed Potatoes A Perfect Umami Boost

If you had to name the most iconic comfort food, there's a good chance the answer would be mashed potatoes. Simple, savory, and satisfying, a well-made batch of spuds can anchor almost any plate of steak or seafood as a side. However, they can also be the star of the show if you give them a little extra flavor with an unexpected ingredient: miso paste.

Miso paste is, of course, the base ingredient for miso soup, but if you tend to keep a tub of the stuff in your refrigerator, you might be surprised to know that it can do a whole lot more than just make soup. This Japanese ingredient can melt into all kinds of dishes like macaroni and cheese or tomato-based pasta sauce. With just the flick of a tablespoon, it can add a perfect umami boost to a pot of homemade mashed potatoes — no special cooking skills required.

Perhaps one of the reasons why mashed potatoes are so beloved is that the flavor profile is a bit of a blank slate. They're, of course, great on their own because you can't beat the combination of butter and starch. But there are millions of recipes that bring herbs, cheese, and spices into the mix — and they all taste good thanks to the solid, starchy base note of the potatoes. So if you're a little hesitant to add miso to mashed potatoes, don't be. Adding miso is a unique twist that's similar to adding roasted garlic or parmesan cheese to give the spuds that pleasing, delicious taste we call "umami."

Mixing miso into mashed potatoes couldn't be easier, but you have a couple of options for when you incorporate it. The best time to add miso is with the dairy during the mashing stage. Combine 1 or 2 tablespoons of miso in with any heated cream, milk, or butter before mixing it into the cooked potatoes, and it will melt right in. If you make mashed potatoes with chicken or vegetable stock, mix the miso into the stock, just like you would for miso soup, before adding it to the mashing pot or mixing bowl. Just keep in mind that miso is salty, so add it first and taste the potatoes before adding any extra sodium.

If you really want to experiment with building flavor, you can also add miso to mashed potatoes by using it to boil the spuds themselves. Depending on the volume of potatoes you plan to boil, add enough miso paste to the boiling water so that there's enough miso flavor to transfer over into the potatoes. The water should look a little cloudy (like a weak miso soup). Once they're cooked, mash or whip the potatoes as usual.

The nice thing about miso mashed potatoes is that you can serve them with almost any meal that normally works with plain mashed spuds. They are the perfect side dish with any sort of Japanese-inspired main course, like expensive Kobe beef steaks or ginger pork, but they'll also taste great with savory centerpieces like a whole roasted chicken, braised lamb shank, or grilled portobello mushrooms. They'll even add a layer of complex flavor to a loaded mashed potato bowl, which is a lot like a rice bowl but uses mashed potatoes as the base. If you make too many miso mashed potatoes, don't sweat it. Just save them for breakfast and turn them into savory potato croquettes or potato pancakes. Their earthy flavor will taste great with eggs and cheese (or even a dash of maple syrup).