Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup

Hello my wonderful chickpeas! You all know that I love soup season, and what better way to celebrate soup season than with a homemade Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup? This 30 minute recipe packs in so much flavor and is great for cozy fall and winter nights. The miso pulls in tons of delicious umami vibes, and the tofu and shiitake mushrooms add some great texture and nutrients.

This recipe truly is super simple and has been on repeat in my kitchen for a few months now. I hope you try it out and love it as much as we do!

Inspiration For Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup

This Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup is my personal take on the traditional Japanese miso soup! Mine is not going to be the most traditional version out there, but it still has most of the same elements and flavors with a veganized twist.

Traditional miso soup uses a dashi stock as its base with miso for flavor, and usually contains tofu and green onion. Unfortunately for us vegans, dashi stock typically contains fish, so most miso soups are sadly not vegan friendly.

My version uses veggie broth as the base, and is flavored with miso and extra kombu (a type of seaweed) to pull in some umami and slightly “fishy” vibes without any actual fish! We are also adding in some tamari for an extra umami boost, and shiitake mushrooms simply because they complement our flavors so well. It was also very important to me to keep this recipe easy, so it’s a 30 minute recipe AND only has 8 ingredients!

Ingredients

Since we were going for super simple here, you only have 8 ingredients today! If you don’t typically cook asian inspired dishes some of these may be a bit new to you, but I promise they are easy to work with!

• Vegetable broth, dried kombu, and red miso paste: these basically come together to make up our broth base. The dried kombu adds an umami “fishy” taste, and the miso paste packs in tons of flavor!
• Shiitake mushrooms: when you order miso soup at a restaurant it’s kind of hit or miss if you’re going to get mushrooms. However, I personally think they are a great addition so I included them in this version. They add extra texture and bulk up our soup just a bit!
• Dried wakame seaweed, green onion, and silken tofu: all additions to our soup! These are all pretty common in miso soup, and they pair great together!
• Tamari: for one extra boost of umami flavoring at the end!

How to Make Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup

As always, full recipe at the end of the post! But here are the basics:

1. Simmer vegetable broth and kombu on the stovetop.
2. Add your shiitake mushrooms.
3. Remove the kombu.
4. Transfer some of the broth to a separate bowl and whisk in the miso paste. Add back to soup.
5. Add green onions, wakame seaweed, tofu, and tamari.
6. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Here are some of my helpful thoughts on this recipe!

• Not a fan of shiitake mushrooms? Use any mushroom you like, or leave them out completely! I personally love the addition, but it’s still delicious without them. (If you use another type, please note that different types of mushrooms may need more or less time to cook!).
• Can only find white miso paste and not red? No worries! The red gives a deeper flavor, however I also did a test with white and it will do in a pinch. However, since it’s not as strong, I suggest using 5 Tbsp instead of 4 if you are making the switch.
• Having a hard time finding kombu seaweed or wakame seaweed? I can usually find these at my local health food store, and asian markets also typically carry them. However, you can also order them on amazon! I use Emerald Cove Pacific Kombu and Emerald Cove Pacific Wakame.
• This suggestion is for those of you who aren’t afraid to experiment a bit, because I haven’t done it myself yet. But if you wanted to bulk up this soup I think adding some soba or ramen noodles would be fun! I’m not sure how long the noodles would need to cook, so if you aren’t confident in your experimenting abilities you may just want to cook them separately and then add them at the end.
• Looking for more soups this soup season? I’ve got you covered! Some of my other favorites are my Vegan Hungarian Mushroom Soup and my Coziest Tomato Basil Soup!

Enjoy!

Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup

Recipe by Delaney Romero – Joyful Balance

Servings (as a side)

4

servings

From Start to Finish

30

minutes

This Super Simple Vegan Miso Soup is only 8 ingredients and is ready to go in 30 minutes! It’s got all the deep umami flavors we know and love from traditional miso soup, but is completely vegan. This is more traditionally a side dish, but in my house we also love it on its own as a light lunch!

*Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate that includes time to prepare your ingredients and complete the recipe directions.

Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 3 pieces dried kombu*

• 2/3 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 4 Tbsp red miso paste*

• 3 stalks green onion, chopped

• 1.5 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed*

• 1/2 a block of silken tofu, diced

• 1 Tbsp Tamari

Directions

• Add vegetable broth and kombu to a medium pot on the stovetop. Bring to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add your shiitake mushrooms and continue to simmer another 3-5 minutes.
• Using kitchen tongs, remove the kombu from your broth. Discard the kombu.
• Transfer a large ladle worth of the broth to a separate small bowl (avoiding the mushrooms if possible). Add the miso paste to the bowl and whisk quickly with a fork to combine, breaking up all of the chunks of miso so that the mixture is smooth. Pour this mixture back into the soup.
• Add green onions, wakame seaweed, tofu, and tamari to soup. Stir to combine. Simmer 2-3 minutes, or until it is heated to your liking, and serve!

Notes

• *Dried kombu: I can often find this at my local health food store, and most asian grocery stores or markets should also carry it. Or, you can order it on Amazon! I like to use Emerald Cove Pacific Kombu.
• *Red miso paste: if you only have white miso paste available to you, you can use white miso paste in a pinch. However, white miso paste has a more mild flavor and I recommend subbing in 5 Tbsp of it (instead of the 4 Tbsp the recipe calls for)
• *Dried wakame: similarly to the kombu, I can often find this at my local health food store or at most asian grocery stores or markets. Or, you can order it on Amazon! I like to use Emerald Cove Pacific Wakame.

Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your soup-making ways.

Stay joyfully balanced!