• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef JA Cooks
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • 日本語
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • 日本語
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • 日本語
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Soups

    Easy Vegan Miso Soup with Tofu and Vegetables

    May 11, 2023 by JURI · This post may contain affiliate links

    5 from 2 votes
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO

    Try out this simple vegan miso soup that'll have you feasting within less than 10 minutes! This plant-based soup is perfect for anyone who wants an easy and nutritious weeknight meal at home!

    vegan miso soup in a saucepan.
    vegan miso soup with wakame and tofu

    Miso soup, also known as miso shiru in Japanese, is a comforting and traditional soup that can easily be adapted for a vegan version.

    Despite what you might think, making miso soup is actually quite simple and is considered one of the easiest soups in Japanese cuisine. In fact, it can be prepared in under 10 minutes, making it a quick and easy option for a tasty and satisfying meal.

      This recipe is for you if:
    • You love miso soup.
    • You want to make vegan miso soup.
    • You are looking for variations for vegan miso soup.
    • You are searching for an easy miso soup recipe.

    Let me show you how to make it. If you want to check the recipe immediately, please visit the link below. Let's get started!

    Jump to:
    • About this recipe
    • What is Miso Soup?
    • Is Miso Soup Vegan?
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • Vegan Miso Soup Variations
    • What to serve with
    • Thanks For Stopping By
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Easy Vegan Miso Soup with Tofu and Vegetables
    • 💬 Comments

    About this recipe

    • Traditional Japanese soup
    • Easy vegan miso soup recipe
    • Learn variations of the ingredients

    What is Miso Soup?

    Tofu miso soup ingredients illustration.

    Miso soup is mild yet flavorful Japanese soup and perfect as a side dish for any meal of the day and provides an umami-rich taste. Its main ingredients include miso paste, dashi, and simple ingredients such as tofu, vegetables, and seaweed.

    Miso soup is a daily staple enjoyed by many Japanese people (we have it almost every day for breakfast), whether at home or dining out. It is commonly found on the menus of Japanese restaurants, served alongside steamed rice and other dishes.

    Is Miso Soup Vegan?

    Traditional miso soup is not vegan as it typically contains fish stock. However, it is possible to make it a vegan dish with a few simple substitutions.

    The three basic components of miso soup are miso paste, dashi (soup stock), and ingredients of your choice, such as vegetables and tofu.

    The dashi used in traditional miso soup is often made with katsuobushi, which are dried bonito flakes. To make a vegan version, you can substitute katsuobushi with kombu (dried kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms.

    Let's find out more in the following section!

    📋 Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

    vegan miso soup ingredient list.
    • Miso paste
    • Vegan dashi
    • Ingredients of choice: You can choose any vegetables, seaweed, and tofu. I use wakame, chives, and tofu in this recipe.

    See more details on each ingredient below.

    Miso Paste

    Miso paste.

    Miso paste is flavorful, savory, and salty fermented soybean paste, typically made from koji (a type of fungus), soybeans, and salt. The mixture is fermented for varying lengths of time, which gives the miso paste its distinct flavor and texture. The longer the fermentation process, the darker and stronger the miso paste will be.

    Miso paste is rich in enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals that can promote good digestion, boost the immune system, and provide other health benefits. It's a versatile ingredient that can be used in many dishes, including soups, marinades, salad dressings, and sauces.

    Learn more about miso paste in this article: What is miso paste?

    Which miso paste to choose?

    Here are the three different types of miso by color:

    • White miso (Shiro miso) - Short fermentation (1 to 3 months). Slightly sweet with a light aroma.
    • Yellow miso (Awairo miso) - Medium fermentation (4 to 8 months). It's mainstream miso.
    • Red miso (Aka miso) - Long fermentation (one year or more). Salty and rich in flavor

    Which one to choose is a personal preference. I like using yellow for miso soup and red for other dishes like stir-frying and dressing. I recommend yellow or sweet white miso if you are not familiar with the taste of miso paste.

    If you want to find out your personal preference, try them all! Miso paste won't go bad in the fridge, so you can keep it for a long time.

    Vegan Dashi

    Kombu dashi powder and vegan dashi.

    Dashi is an essential soup base that adds a distinct, savory umami flavor to traditional miso soup. It's typically made from fish stock using ingredients like katsuobushi (dried, smoked bonito flakes) or niboshi (dried baby sardines), which provide a rich and complex flavor.

    However, you can substitute the dashi with kombu (dried kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms easily, which also provide a natural source of umami. Here are two ways to make vegan dashi:

    • Instant kombu dashi stock powder - Pick this option if you like something easy and quick. You just add the powder to the water. Kombu dashi powder provides a Japanese flavor, but if you can't find it at your local grocery store or Asian grocery store, you can substitute it with vegetable broth.
    • Homemade vegan dashi - If you want to avoid additives and all that, pick this option. To make the broth from scratch, you will soak the kombu and shiitake mushrooms in water for at least 5 hours. It takes time, but homemade Japanese stock makes your miso soup more delicious. See the recipe below.
    Shiitake Kombu Dashi (Japanese Vegan Dashi)
    5 from 9 votes
    Learn how to make vegan dashi.
    Make This Recipe
    dried shiitake, kombu and water in a bottle for making dashi

    Ingredients of choice

    ingredients of choice for vegan miso soup.

    You can add a variety of ingredients to miso soup!

    Tofu, wakame (a type of seaweed), and scallions (green onions) are popular in Japan, but you can pick your favorite ingredients from the list above.

    Here are some of my favorites to give you quick ideas:

    • Bean sprouts, cabbage, and tofu
    • Eringi mushrooms and bok choy
    • Napa cabbage, carrot, and aburaage (fried tofu)
    • Natto and shimeji mushrooms
    • Onion, sweet potato, and carrot
    • Rice noodles, nori sheet, and spring onion

    Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients

    If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.

    • Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
    • Asian market
    • Whole Foods Market
    • Health food stores
    • Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon

    🔪Instructions

    I will show you how to make vegan miso soup in 5 steps. You can also watch this vegan wakame seaweed miso soup video.

    how to make miso soup in 5 steps.

    How to make it is so simple and easy as follows:

    1. Cut soup ingredients of choice
    2. Put the soup ingredients, dashi powder, and water (or homeamde vegan dashi) in a saucepan
    3. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmering over low heat
    4. Turn off the heat and add miso paste
    5. Dissolve the miso paste
    wakame seaweed miso soup in a soup bowl.

    That's it! Miso soup is best enjoyed when it's hot, so serve it immediately!

    By the way, we use these types of Miso soup bowls (Owan in Japanese) for serving miso soup. Maybe it's just me, but the miso soup tastes better when eaten in this bowl!

    Helpful Tips

    • Always add miso paste after turning off the heat. If you boil the miso, you will lose the excellent flavor.
    • When adding the miso to your soup, stir gently (try not to break the tofu).
    • It's easy to add miso paste with a whisk (see below).

    Helpful tips for Tofu

    • There are many types of tofu, such as silken tofu (soft tofu), firm tofu, and extra-firm tofu, and you can use them all for miso soup ingredients.
    • You might wonder if you have to press tofu to remove the excess water. You have to drain the water in the package, but you don't need to press it!
    • Take it out from the package, place it on your palm (if you can), cut it into cubes, and put them into a saucepan.

    Miso measuring whisk

    Miso measuring whisk with miso paste.

    This Miso measuring whisk is a MUST tool for making miso soup.

    You can easily measure and scoop miso paste. All you need to do is to put this whisk into the miso container and turn it around! Plus, you can put the whisk into the soup directly to dissolve the miso.

    I love it so much! I highly recommend having this simple tool if you make miso soup often!

    Storage

    wakame seaweed miso soup in a glass jar.

    Fresh miso soup is the best, but if you have leftovers, let it cool and keep it in the fridge.

    Transfer the soup to a glass jar and store it in the fridge. It will be good for 2 to 3 days.

    I don't recommend putting it in the freezer because freezing and thawing change the texture of the tofu.

    Vegan Miso Soup Variations

    These are some of my favorite miso soup recipes! If the recipe uses regular fish dashi, substitute it with vegan dashi.

    Mushroom miso soup

    mushroom miso soup in a bowl.

    Ingredients: Miso paste, vegan dashi, eringi, shimeji, and maitake mushrooms

    Make This Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Kabocha miso soup

    kabocha miso soup in a bowl.

    Ingredients: Miso paste, vegan dashi, kabocha squash, komatsuna, and tofu

    Make This Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Natto miso soup

    natto miso soup in a bowl.

    Ingredients: Miso paste, vegan dashi, natto, shimeji mushrooms, and scallion

    Make This Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    What to serve with

    You can serve your soup with Japanese rice and other traditional dishes to give it a more authentic feel. Here are some Japanese vegan recipes you might want to try:

    • Vegan miso soup
    • Umeboshi onigiri (rice balls)
    • Fried daikon
    • Vegan vegetable gyoza (dumplings)
    • Okara salad

    Thanks For Stopping By

    vegan miso soup in a saucepan.

    How did you like the recipe? Enjoy crafting the best flavor you love with a wide range of ingredients!

    Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you've tried this recipe(or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

    Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

    Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

    More Miso Soup Recipes You Might Like

    • What Is Miso Soup?
    • Miso Soup Ingredients (And How To Make It)
    • 10 Easy Japanese Miso Soup Recipes
    • 8-Minute Tofu Miso Soup
    • Wakame Seaweed Miso Soup
    • Simple Japanese Mushroom Miso Soup

    FAQ

    What is miso soup usually made of?

    Miso soup is made from three basic components: Miso paste, dashi (soup stock), and Ingredients of your choice. The most common ingredients are tofu, scallions, and wakame seaweed.

    Is miso soup vegan friendly?

    No. Traditional miso soup is not vegan-friendly as dashi broth is made of fish, but you can make it vegan easily with plant-based dashi.

    What is vegan miso broth made of?

    It's made of dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed.

    How often do Japanese eat miso soup?

    Miso soup is a daily staple in Japan. It depends on the family, but I make it almost every day, and we eat it a couple of times a day.

    📖 Recipe

    vegan miso soup in a saucepan.

    Easy Vegan Miso Soup with Tofu and Vegetables

    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin SAVE SAVED!
    Prep: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook: 5 minutes minutes
    Total: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: JURI
    Try out this simple vegan miso soup that'll have you feasting within less than 10 minutes! This plant-based soup is perfect for anyone who wants an easy and nutritious weeknight meal at home.

    Equipment

    • Saucepan 18cm/7 inches
    • Miso measuring whisk
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 c Ingredients of choice, see *1
    • 1½ teaspoon Kombu dashi powder, 5g
    • 3 c Water, 720ml
    • 2 tablespoon Miso paste, 36g, 1.3oz

    Instructions

    • Preparation: Cut your ingredients of choice
    • Bring to a boil: Put ingredients of choice, dashi powder, and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium heat.
    • Simmer: Lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes or until tender.
    • Add miso paste: Turn off the heat, add miso (use a miso measuring whisk if you have it), and stir gently until it dissolves.

    Video

    Notes

    • *1: See the "Ingredients of choice" section to find out what to choose. Popular ingredients are tofu, scallions, wakame seaweed, daikon radish, and many more.
    • Storage: 3 days in the fridge.
    • If the taste of the soup is light to you, feel free to add more miso paste.
    • Always add miso paste after turning off the heat. If you boil the miso paste, you will lose the aroma.
    • If you prefer homemade vegan dashi, see Shiitake kombu dashi.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 24mg | Sugar: 1g
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Keyword: vegan miso soup
    Did You Make this recipe?Please Leave a star rating!

    More Soups

    • Japanese sweet potato miso soup in a serving bowl.
      Japanese Sweet Potato Miso Soup (Satsumaimo Recipe)
    • Japanese sweet potato soup served in a bowl.
      Creamy Japanese Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)
    • Creamy shiitake mushroom soup served in a bowl.
      Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Soup (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
    • oshiruko in a small bowl.
      Oshiruko (Sweet Red Bean Soup)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    WELCOME!

    Hi, I’m Juri! If you love Japanese food, you’re in the right place! I love sharing easy and simple Japanese recipes with minimal ingredients. Read more!

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Matcha Pound Cake
      Vegan Matcha Pound Cake
    • 米粉と豆乳のパンケーキ
      Fluffy Rice Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
    • 12 variations of easy onigiri.
      17 Easy Onigiri Recipes (Japanese Rice Balls)
    • fluffy tamagoyaki(Japanese omelette)
      The Best Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet)
    • Kake Soba (Japanese Simple Soba Noodle Soup)
      Easy 20-Minute Soba Noodle Soup (Japanese Kake Soba)
    • natto gohan with kimchi
      8 Ways To Enjoy Natto Gohan (Natto Rice)

    • 日本語日本語
    • EnglishEnglish

    Free Vegetarian Recipe ebook

    Join our newsletter and get our FREE ebook! !

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Language

    • Japanese
    • English

    Newsletter

    free vegetarian ebook.

    Chef JA Cooks participates in amazon affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions if you purchase products after clicking an affiliate link. No extra cost to you.

    Copyright © 2022 Chef JA Cooks

    3 shares