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Home » Recipes » Soups

Vegan Miso Soup

Published: Jan 6, 2022 · Modified: Jan 19, 2023 by Lexi

3.9K shares
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Three bowls of miso soup seen from above.

This homemade Vegan Miso Soup is made with a flavorful, from scratch dashi broth and is packed with green onion, boy choy, shiitake mushrooms and tofu. It's flavorful, comforting and surprisingly easy to make!

close up overhead view of vegan miso soup with tofu, mushrooms and scallions in a bowl
Jump to:
  • 🍲 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🍄 Ingredients
  • 📋 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

🍲 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Vegan dashi: Dashi is a flavorful, umami-packed Japanese stock that's traditionally made using dried fish flakes. It's used as the base of miso soup and other broth soups in Japanese cuisine. Our vegan version has the same rich flavor, without the fish ingredients, thanks to kombu kelp.
  • Surprisingly easy to make: Even with making your own homemade dashi (broth), this vegan miso soup comes together relatively quickly, so you can have a comforting bowl of soup in less than an hour.
  • Versatile: Once you have your miso soup base prepared, you can customize by adding various ingredients, like tofu, mushrooms, green onion, bok choy and a variety of other vegetables.

🍄 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan miso soup:

Overhead view of vegan miso soup ingredients, including shiitake mushrooms and scallions.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Dried kombu (kelp): There are several ways to make traditional Japanese dashi, but most of them include kombu, an edible kelp that adds deep umami flavor. You can find it at some grocery stores (like Whole Foods), Asian markets or online. We don't suggest substituting with another variety of seaweed – the flavor just won't be the same. It's also meant to replace the flavor of bonito (fish) flakes, which are traditional in dashi, so it's an essential flavor for this vegan miso soup.
  • Dried shiitake mushrooms: These also help replace fish flakes in our vegan dashi. Dried shiitake mushrooms, in particular, add an earthy, robust flavor and they're relatively easy to find at grocery stores. Why dry instead of fresh? Dried mushrooms have more intense, concentrated flavor, which is necessary for a deeply flavorful broth.
  • Miso paste: the most important ingredient! You can use any kind of miso for miso soup, including red, yellow or white miso. We used yellow miso in our version. Generally, the darker the miso is, the saltier and more intense the flavor of the finished soup will be.
  • Tofu: Medium firmness works well for miso soup, but you can also use firmer or even silken tofu.
  • Choice of mushrooms: We opted for shiitake, but you could also use other varieties of wild mushrooms, including enoki, beech or oyster mushrooms. You can also leave them out for a simpler vegan miso soup.
  • Soy sauce: Not a traditional ingredient in miso soup, but we find it helps add just a bit more of that umami punch that's missing from the lack of fish flakes. If you're gluten free, you can use tamari.
  • Red pepper flakes: Completely optional and not traditional – but we like to add a little bit of heat to the finished broth.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) To make dashi: add water, kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms to a large stock pot.

(2) Heat to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the kombu and dried mushrooms with a slotted spoon (or strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve).   

Before and after homemade vegan dashi is cooked in pot.

(3) Bring the dashi to a gentle simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together miso paste and ½ cup of warmed dashi and set aside.

before and after whisking together miso paste and broth in small bowl.

(4) Add the miso/broth mixture, soy sauce, green onion, mushrooms and bok choy to dashi and let cook over low (don't boil) for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables soften. 

before and after adding mushrooms, boy choy and scallions to miso broth in large pot.

(5) Add tofu and serve, or add tofu to each individual bowl and serve with the miso soup. 

two bowls of homemade vegan miso soup.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Optional add ins for vegan miso soup:
    • Daikon radish
    • Carrot
    • Other mushroom varieties like enoki, maitake, nameko, etc.
    • Spinach
    • Wakame seaweed
    • Cabbage or napa cabbage
    • Bean sprouts
  • Don't boil the broth after you've added the miso paste: Miso will start to lose its flavor if boiled, so heat gently for best flavor.
  • Don't overcook the dashi: If you let the dashi cook at high heat for too long, the kombu will over-infuse and may taste bitter. It's best to slowly steep the kombu at low heat, which is why we cover and remove from heat.
  • Storage: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, but best within 2-3 days.
Can you freeze vegan miso soup?


Yes. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. We don't suggest storing with tofu in the broth.

Is traditional miso soup vegan?

Traditionally-prepared miso soup is not vegan. While miso paste is vegan, the broth usually contains dried fish (bonito) flakes. If you're ordering at a restaurant, be sure to ask whether or not the broth is vegetarian.

What kind of miso paste is best for miso soup?


While any miso paste will work in this homemade vegan miso soup, you may want to choose based on your preferences. As a general rule of thumb, the darker the miso, the more intense the flavor. White miso is the mildest option, which is perfect for those who prefer a less intense flavor. We typically use yellow miso paste, which is a bit richer in color.

Overhead view of two bowls of vegan miso soup.

🍽 Related Recipes

  • Homemade Vegan Ramen
  • Teriyaki Mushroom Bowls
  • overhead view of shaved rainbow carrot salad with miso sesame dressing on large black platter.
    Carrot Sesame Salad
  • Overhead view of miso eggplant with lime wedges, rice, and cashews.
    Miso Glazed Eggplant

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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Vegan Miso Soup


★★★★★

4.8 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This homemade Vegan Miso Soup is made with a flavorful, from scratch dashi broth and is packed with green onion, boy choy, shiitake mushrooms and tofu. It's flavorful, comforting and surprisingly easy to make!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Vegan Dashi:

  • 5 2-inch pieces dried Kombu seaweed
  • 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 9 cups water

Vegan Miso Soup:

  • Dashi broth (from above)
  • ⅓ cup (5-6 tablespoons) white or yellow miso paste
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 ½ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 3 cups bok choy greens, thinly sliced
  • ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 7 ounces (200g) medium, firm or silken tofu, diced

Instructions

  1. To make dashi, add water, kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms to a large stock pot. Heat to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the kombu and dried mushrooms with a slotted spoon (or strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve).   
  2. Bring the dashi to a gentle simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together miso paste and ½ cup of warmed dashi and set aside.
  3. Add the miso/broth mixture, soy sauce, green onion, mushrooms and bok choy to dashi and let cook over low (don't boil) for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables soften. 
  4. Add tofu and serve, or add tofu to each individual bowl and serve with the miso soup. 

Notes

Miso paste: You can use any kind of miso for miso soup, including red, yellow or white miso. We used yellow miso in our version. Generally, the darker the miso is, the saltier and more intense the flavor of the finished soup will be.

Tofu: Medium firmness works well for miso soup, but you can also use firmer or even silken tofu.

Choice of mushrooms: We opted for shiitake, but you could also use other varieties of wild mushrooms, including enoki, beech or oyster mushrooms. 

Don't boil the broth after you've added the miso paste: Miso will start to lose its flavor if boiled, so heat gently for best flavor. 

Don't overcook the dashi: If you let the dashi cook at high heat for too long, the kombu will over-infuse and may taste bitter. It's best to slowly steep the kombu at low heat, which is why we cover and remove from heat. 

Storage: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, but best within 2-3 days. 

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Soups
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bowl
  • Calories: 118
  • Sugar: 1.8 g
  • Sodium: 372.3 mg
  • Fat: 4.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 10.1 g
  • Fiber: 2.5 g
  • Protein: 10.2 g

Keywords: vegan miso soup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Nancy

    October 30, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    I just wanted a different tasting soup other than vegetable broth blah blah blah. I wish I did have the green onions to put in at the end as I like onions and it would give another great flavor but I didn't. Did you put in this post the health benefits as in protein, sodium?

    ★★★★

    Reply
  2. Sherri

    September 03, 2021 at 7:28 am

    I get that you strain the kombu out and any sediment from the mushrooms out, but then you leave the rehydrated whole shitakis in along with the sliced fresh ones? I'm right in the middle of making it now and don't know what to do. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Brent Harrison

      September 03, 2021 at 10:49 am

      It's up to you - you can either leave them in or take them out.

      Reply
  3. Kelly

    January 06, 2021 at 7:55 pm

    The most amazing vegan miso soup ever!! I’ve made many miso soups and they just lack flavor and consistency and this is by far the best I have ever had. I have sent this recipe out to fellow miso lovers to try too! Love it!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      January 07, 2021 at 9:32 am

      Thank you so much, Kelly! Means a lot! So glad you enjoyed 🙂

      Reply
      • Sabrina

        March 18, 2022 at 4:38 pm

        Super tasty soup! I didn't think I could ever have miso soup again since going vegan, but this is a lovely twist on the original. Deep umami flavours, not too salty and very well balanced. Seemed like a bit of a waste to discard the seaweed and shiitaki after making the broth, so I saved them because they are still edible!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Lexi

          March 20, 2022 at 12:39 pm

          So glad you enjoyed!

          Reply
  4. Judith

    October 18, 2020 at 8:26 am

    ExcellAnt, I made it last night, very easy, good and only 149 calories!!!
    Thanks for all of the great recipes

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      October 19, 2020 at 11:52 am

      So thrilled you enjoyed this soup, Judith! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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