5 from 11 votes

Japanese Dashi is typically made with fish, like bonito flakes—but if you’re looking for a plant-based alternative, this vegan dashi is perfect. Just soak kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in water and let the umami-rich flavors develop. It’s super easy, so give it a try!

Want to learn more about dashi? Check out What Is Dashi? A Quick Guide To Japanese Soup Stock.

dried shiitake, kombu and water in a bottle for making dashi

Featured Comment

From Jody: “Very well explained and easy. The taste was delicious!”

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this dashi:

Kombu: A dried seaweed you’ll see in lots of Japanese cooking. It’s naturally packed with umami and makes a clean, mellow broth when soaked in water.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Drying brings out even more umami in the mushrooms, making them way richer than fresh ones.
Where to Find Them: Check your local Japanese or Asian grocery store, or look for them in the international or natural foods section of larger supermarkets and health food stores.

How To Make Vegan Dashi: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video, detailed ingredients, and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.

Step 1

Combine kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and water in a glass jar.

Step 2

Refrigerate the jar for at least 5 hours.

Step 3

Remove the kombu and shiitake.

Step 4

Your vegan dashi is ready to use in soups, broths, or other dishes.

before and after making shiitake kombu dashi

Here’s a before-and-after comparison. When the water turns a light golden color, like in the photo on the right, your dashi is ready. You’ll see that nice golden-brown broth extracted from the kombu and shiitake.

Recipe Tips

Remove the kombu after making the dashi — leaving it in too long can make the broth slimy.
This vegan dashi has a light, mild flavor. If you prefer a deeper umami taste, feel free to add a bit more kombu or dried shiitake mushrooms.
Don’t toss the kombu and shiitake! They’re full of flavor even after soaking—slice them up and use them in other dishes (see ideas below).

How to Use Vegan Dashi

Once you’ve made your vegan dashi, here are some delicious ways to use it:

Miso Soup: A classic! Simply mix with miso paste and add your favorite ingredients, such as tofu and seaweed.
Noodle Soups: Perfect for light noodle soups like a kake soba and kake udon.
Rice Dishes: Use it in dishes like mushroom takikomi gohan or daikon takikomi gohan for added depth of flavor.
Hot Pot (Nabe): A great base for veggie-filled Japanese-style hot pot, such as oden.

What to Do with Leftover Shiitake and Kombu

Don’t toss them! The kombu and shiitake left after making dashi are packed with flavor and can be reused in other dishes. Here are a few easy and delicious ideas:

Miso Soup Ingredients: Simply chop them into small pieces and add them to your miso soup.
Takikomi Gohan Ingredients: Chop them into small pieces and cook them together with the rice.
Homemade Furikake: Finely chop them in a food processor, then sauté with soy sauce and mirin. Use it as a rice topping or mix it into veggie stir-fries.

I use dashi powder or niboshi dashi in these recipes, but you can substitute it with shiitake kombu dashi.

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