Popcorn is a pretty popular snack around my house. My hubby will often make a bowl of it when we’re watching some evening TV. His topping of choice is butter mixed with hot sauce. My kids will eat popcorn at any chance they get. They love fresh popped popcorn with butter and salt when we’re watching movies, but store bought bags of kettle corn, white cheddar and Chicago mix (cheddar and caramel) are also regular snacks around our house. I like trying new flavors all the time, as evidenced by the multiple popcorn recipes I have published on my personal blog. It was while I was eating a bowl of miso soup that I got the idea to try Miso Butter Popcorn.
Miso is a fermented soy bean paste that tastes salty and umami. It comes in several flavors and colors and is commonly known as the main flavoring in miso soup. It’s rich flavor makes it an ideal ingredient to flavor meats, vegetables, salad dressings and popcorn, as it turns out. I like to top my Miso Butter Popcorn with furikake, which is a Japanese spice mixture used to season rice. You can also use shichimi togarashi, which is another Japanese spice mixture made of ground peppers, citrus and sesame seeds that is quite spicy. If you don’t have either of these, sesame seeds work well too, but it also tastes great without any other adornment.
Miso Butter Popcorn
Change it up and make Miso Butter Popcorn to add a hit of savory and salty umami flavor to your favorite crunchy, whole grain snack. 
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1⁄3 cup popcorn kernels
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- Furikake or Shichimi Togarashi seasoning (optional, see note)
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn kernels by the method of your choice. While the popcorn is popping, melt the butter in the microwave, about 25-30 seconds, in a small bowl. Whisk in the miso paste until it forms an emulsion (it will become smooth and shiny and will no longer look curdled).
- Add the miso butter to the popcorn in a large bowl and toss very well to distribute. Sprinkle with furikake or shichimi togarashi if desired.
Recipe Notes
Furikake is a Japanese seasoning for rice. It is made of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt and sugar and tastes slightly umami, sweet and salty. Shichimi togarashi is made of dried peppers, sesame seeds, dried citrus peels and other spices. It is quite spicy.
