This vegan miso soup is a quick and simple soup that's light yet comforting, nutrient-packed, and gut-healthy. Just 6 ingredients in 15 minutes!
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Types of Miso Paste
- The Ingredients and Substitutes
- What Could I Add to Miso Soup
- How to Make Vegan Miso Soup
- FAQs
- Top Recipe Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Instructions
- More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Easy Pastina Recipe (Italian Penicillin Soup!)
- Vegan Gnocchi Soup
- Vegan Miso Soup
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This 15-minute miso soup is one of the easiest you can make, perfect for last-minute meals, is packed with flavor, and rich in gut-friendly probiotics.
Plus, unlike traditional recipes, my vegan miso soup uses kombu. Optionally add tofu, seaweed, and/or veggies for a customizable bowl of simple Japanese-inspired comfort food.
Love brothy soups? You might also enjoy this Instant Pot vegetable barley soup, Instant Pot navy bean soup, quick vegan gumbo, or even this easy vegan mushroom miso soup.
Types of Miso Paste
Although there are many brands with slightly different flavors, there are three main types of miso paste:
- White miso (Shiro miso): Fermented for the shortest time, with a mild, slightly sweet and creamy flavor. Great for dressings, sauces, and light soups.
- Yellow miso (Shinshu miso): Fermented longer, with a deeper flavor, yet still light enough for soups and marinades.
- Red miso (Aka miso): Fermented the longest, with a bold, complex, and salty umami flavor. This works best for hearty stews and rich marinades.
For a deeper, more complex flavor, try mixing two types of miso.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Kombu: (dried kelp) Discard it before serving, as it's too tough to eat. Alternatively, use kombu dashi powder (½-1 teaspoon per 1 cup water), though it's saltier.
- Miso paste: Use white for a mild, slightly sweet flavor, yellow for more depth, or a blend. Red miso is less common in miso soup because of its intensity.
- Tofu: Use firm tofu (pressed), or more traditional silken tofu, which is custardy and tender.
Sensitive to soy? Try chickpea or brown rice miso paste instead for a twist.
What Could I Add to Miso Soup
- Garlic: A small amount.
- Vegetables: Like matchstick/shredded daikon radish, snap peas, carrots, cabbage, bok choy, or kale. Potato, kabocha, edamame, and bean sprouts also work. Method in FAQs.
- Spice: Add red pepper flakes or sliced chilies.
- Seaweed: Add dried wakame (it rehydrates in the soup in 2-3 minutes. Rehydrate separately to remove excess saltiness). Nori can be used, too.
- Noodles: Add ramen, udon, or rice noodles when serving for heartiness.
How to Make Vegan Miso Soup
Step 1: First, peel and grate the ginger (if using), slice the mushrooms, and finely cube the tofu. Add the water and kombu to a pot over medium heat. Just before it reaches a boil, reduce the heat slightly and discard the kombu.
Step 2: Add the mushrooms and simmer for 3-4 minutes until tender. Reduce the heat to low.
Don't let the mixture boil, or it may become bitter. If you have time, soak the kombu in the water for 30 minutes to rehydrate it before simmering.
Step 3: Meanwhile, whisk the miso paste with a few tablespoons of hot broth in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the dissolved miso into the pot, add the tofu, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the green onion, soy sauce, and ginger (if using). Taste and adjust the seasoning if preferred, then serve and enjoy!
FAQs
No. If you aren't a fan, omit them or replace them with wakame seaweed.
Yes, though I prefer to make the dashi ahead, freezing it, ready to add the miso paste and other ingredients to serve.
Cook 'harder' veg (potatoes, carrots, daikon) first, simmering the kombu longer. Add soft/quick cooking veggies (wakame, sugar snap peas, greens) after the miso.
Top Recipe Tips
- Dissolve the miso: To prevent clumping in the soup and evenly disperse flavor. Do this in a separate bowl, a ladle, or use a strainer in the saucepan.
- Never boil the soup: This is a big no-no for miso paste, affecting its flavor, potentially turning it grainy, and killing beneficial probiotic bacteria. It also makes kombu bitter.
- Adjust the flavor: Taste and adjust. For a more robust flavor, add more miso paste (½ teaspoon at a time), mix miso types, and/or add dried mushrooms (or a mushroom blend).
- Add miso at the end: If you add it too soon, it won't maintain its aroma.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy the soup as-is or garnished with extra green onions, red pepper flakes, and/or toasted sesame seeds.
I like to enjoy vegan miso soup as an appetizer or main with rice (perfect Instant Pot Jasmine rice, perfect Instant Pot Basmati rice, or coconut Basmati rice) noodles, sushi, gyoza/dumplings, steamed edamame, or this cucumber tajin salad.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Store cooled vegan miso soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Best done without tofu or herbs. Freeze the miso broth in an airtight container for up to one month. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring often. Avoid boiling it to keep the active cultures alive and preserve flavor.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
If you tried this vegan miso soup recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Vegan Miso Soup
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Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 (4 x 4-inch) pieces kombu (dried kelp)
- 3 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 1 (8-ounce) block firm or silken tofu cut into small cubes
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button work well)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or a pinch of ginger powder
Instructions
- Add the water and kombu to a medium pot and heat over medium heat. Just before the water reaches a boil, remove and discard the kombu. Do not let it boil, as this can make it bitter.
- Add the mushrooms to the pot and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender.
- Lower the heat to low. Place the miso paste in a small bowl and whisk it with a few tablespoons of the hot broth until smooth.
- Add the dissolved miso to the pot and gently stir to combine. Do not boil after adding the miso.
- Add the tofu and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just until heated through.
- Stir in the green onions and soy sauce. Add ginger if using.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Dissolve the miso: To prevent clumping in the soup and evenly disperse flavor. Do this in a separate bowl, a ladle, or use a strainer in the saucepan.
- Never boil the soup: This is a big no-no for miso paste, affecting its flavor, potentially turning it grainy, and killing beneficial probiotic bacteria. It also makes kombu bitter.
- Adjust the flavor: Taste and adjust. For a more robust flavor, add more miso paste (½ teaspoon at a time), mix miso types, and/or add dried mushrooms (or a mushroom blend).
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