When a vegan swap is as easy as that, you know that the main recipe will be just as simple.
Today, we will teach you how to make the recipe, some helpful tips to get you going, and the best sides to go with your main.
Quick Answer: Best Vegan Miso Soup
Don’t want the full recipe? Not a problem. Simply boil some water and include vegetable stock. Then add in some mushrooms – the more variety the better.
Once they have simmered for a couple of minutes, take it off the heat and add in your miso paste.
Chuck in your silky tofu, and you’re ready to serve!
Helpful Tips
Miso Tips
The best miso paste for this meal is white shiro. White shiro miso has a wonderful balance of soybeans and yeast to create a cloudy visual and a tasty soup.
If you’re allergic to soy, or simply don’t like the taste, try chickpea miso to recreate the cloudy visual or brown rice miso for a richer flavor.
No matter which miso you choose, make sure to turn the heat off before you add it to the soup. Fail to do this, as your paste will turn into a clump.
Kombu Tips
In our detailed recipe, we use Kombu instead of packaged stock. This helps create a delicate yet deep flavor. To get the most out of Kombu, you should soak the dried kelp for as long as possible before you start cooking.
Aim for an overnight soak, as this will bring out the most amount of flavor.
Ingredients
This recipe serves 4 people, takes 10 minutes to cook and prepare, and only requires a stovetop.
You will need:
Green onions (sliced) – enough to garnish
Kombu (dried kelp) – 3 or 4 large pieces
Mushrooms (the more variety the better) – 1 cup
Silky Tofu (cubed) – ½ cup
Water – 4 or 5 cups
Wakames (dried fine seaweed) – ½ cup
White Miso Paste – 4 or 5 tablespoons
Method
Although this soup only takes 10 minutes to cook, soaking your Kombu for 24 hours will create a stronger depth of flavor. Even an hour of soaking can make all the difference.
Step 1
Soak both your Kombu and your Wakames for a minimum of 5 minutes or until they have become soft. The longer you soak them, the stronger the flavor will be.
Step 2
Put the Kombu into 5 cups of water, and boil. Once the water starts to bubble, add in your mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 3
Turn off the heat. Once the water stops boiling, put your miso paste into a separate pot, and ladle some of the Kombu mixture (broth) into the same container. Mix the paste until the miso dissolves, then ladle it into the broth. Do this gradually to prevent chumps.
Step 4
Add in your Wakame and Tofu, and stir gently. Divide into 4 bowls, sprinkle some onions, and serve. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Vegan Miso Soup?
Miso soup is a light and delicious meal, but it’s best served as a starter or a lunch. Serving it as a dinner option will leave your guests hungry.
That doesn’t mean you have to change your plans though. Instead, choose light sides that accompany the miso flavors.
Sashimi salmon is raw and has to pass a quality and taste test before being labeled as such.
You can buy sashimi salmon without doing any cooking. All you need to care about is the presentation of your side.
Like the image above, you can layer each slice like a petal and create a bud in the middle of a dipping sauce, should your guests prefer it.
Using delicate flavors such as parsley and poppy seeds can add texture to this side. If you want to go all out try pickled apple slices for a refreshing zesty feeling.
If you want to add a carby and filling side to your table, consider a rice dish.
Include gentle ingredients such as bell peppers, sweet corn, and runner beans. This way your rice doesn’t steal the show and it continues the idea of delicate dining.
Although miso soup is delicate on purpose, many people prefer a crunch in their meals. If that sounds like you, you try a fried tofu side.
You can dip the tofu chunks into your soup to carry on the flavor. Although this side is more hearty than the main, it still compliments it well.
The image above shows a restaurant-quality plate, and you can show off a dish like this too. All you need is extra firm tofu, and soy sauce with sesame seeds and sesame seed oil.
Fry the tofu using the sesame seed oil until it’s mostly cooked, then brush the soy sauce over all sides. Put it back in the pan for another minute or two so the sauce darkens.
And there you have it! Scatter some sesame seeds on for decoration, and your side is made!
You can buy Kimchi in most supermarkets, and you don’t need a lot to add something sour and spicy to your meal.
Soup and Kimchi don’t normally go together, so if you want an extra kick, you should consider a full plate instead of a store-bought dip.
Making this side is surprisingly complex. There are a lot of stops, and although the technique is easy, you’ll have to have patience in your creation process.
Also, make sure you look for vegan kimchi. Normally this side is made with fish sauce which means it isn’t suitable for vegetarians or vegans, but if you substitute fish sauce with soy sauce, you can make a similar and vegan-friendly alternative.
California rolls get their name due to the carb and avocado, not the state. “CA” looks very similar to the state abbreviation for California, so the name stuck.
This sushi roll is a great choice for miso soup as it continues the light flavoring element, and can be displayed in a “pick your own” style.
This means you can lay a long plate out, and your guests can pick and choose if they want a side or not – no pressure, and nothing is wasted.
Although making CA rolls isn’t difficult you do need to invest in a bamboo mat to make the roll creation easier.
Remember, because CA rolls are made with crab, so this meal is inherently not vegan or vegetarian (Also check out Easy To Make Vegetarian Stew Recipes). However, you can use faux crab meat to simulate the flavors and textures.
Refried beans are a vegan’s pride and joy. They are super easy to make and use the cheapest ingredients in your cupboard.
Just get some kidney beans, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, and stock. Cook them in a saucepan and mash them up.
Now you have a carb-heavy meal that’s tasty and smooth.
For a miso soup, this side can add the heartiness your main lacks, however, you may need some crusty bread to avoid eating it directly with a spoon. You could also use chips or any other sauce-shoving alternative.
To make your flavors match the soup, choose a white bean, and add some Kombu and pre-cooked mushrooms to the mixture. This will transfer the flavors over with ease, creating a seamless side.
Cauliflower is clearly vegan-friendly, and dipping it in miso sauce isn’t going to change that.
For this side, get your cauliflower heads, rip off the florets, and paint a mixture of soy sauce and miso paste over each piece.
Spread them out on a baking tray and then roast them for around 30 minutes.
This simple side will add a crunchiness and a slight carbyness without dominating the table or diverting from the main flavors.
In our opinion, it is the best side dish for this meal and a fantastic side in most dinner plans!
Serve this side with awesome lime wedges to help keep the light feeling.
Final Thoughts
Miso soup is a quick and easy recipe that every cook can make. It doesn’t matter what skill level you are at, the simplicity of this meal means everyone can give it a go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are All Miso Soups Vegan?
Most miso soups are vegan, as the main ingredient in miso is soybeans and some type of grain (such as barley or rice).
However, some manufacturers will add fish sauce to their miso paste to add a fishy-rich flavor.
Make sure you look at the ingredients of your miso paste before purchasing.
If you are buying your miso soup from a restaurant, check to see if they use chicken or tofu. Silky tofu is often preferred for this meal, but some restaurants might use chicken.
Is Miso Soup Every Day Healthy?
Generally speaking, miso soup can be eaten every day to help create a healthy diet.
However, because of the soybeans, this meal is high in sodium (salt). If you are partaking in a low-sodium diet, you shouldn’t have this soup daily.
The Best Vegan Miso Soup – A Healthy And Easy Recipe
Recipe by Lana RiveraCourse: Uncategorized
Servings
4
servings
Prep time
30
minutes
Cooking time
40
minutes
Calories
300
kcal
Ingredients
Green onions (sliced) – enough to garnish
Kombu (dried kelp) – 3 or 4 large pieces
Mushrooms (the more variety the better) – 1 cup
Silky Tofu (cubed) – ½ cup
Water – 4 or 5 cups
Wakames (dried fine seaweed) – ½ cup
White Miso Paste – 4 or 5 tablespoons
Directions
Soak both your Kombu and your Wakames for a minimum of 5 minutes or until they have become soft. The longer you soak them, the stronger the flavor will be.
Put the Kombu into 5 cups of water, and boil. Once the water starts to bubble, add in your mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Once the water stops boiling, put your miso paste into a separate pot, and ladle some of the Kombu mixture (broth) into the same container.
Mix the paste until the miso dissolves, then ladle it into the broth. Do this gradually to prevent chumps.
Add in your Wakame and Tofu, and stir gently. Divide into 4 bowls, sprinkle some onions, and serve. Enjoy!
Hey! I’m Lana, the original Soup Chick! I decided to create this website as I am a massive soup fan. I will literally make soup for every occasion. Whether a friend is under the weather, has the flu, or I just want to try out something new in my slow cooker!
I hope that you can find some really interesting and different soup recipes to try out with my site. I know I’ve had a lot of fun curating and trying them all, and I hope that you do too!
