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–+ servings

Japanese Ginger Miso Soup (Vegan)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 
 

Dashi

Miso Soup

  • 30 g Japanese leek (naganegi) or regular leek (simmer longer)
  • 125 g firm tofu or silken for softer texture
  • 20 g ginger root
  • 30 g shimeji mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice
  • 2 tbsp vegan miso paste I used awase/mixed miso
  • ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds optional

Instructions 

Plant Based Awase Dashi

  • Place 6 g dried kelp (kombu) and 4 g dried shiitake mushroom in a pot with 500 ml cold water. Cover with a drop-lid or small plate to weigh down the mushrooms, and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes at room temp or 5-24 hours in the fridge.
    kombu and shiitake soaking in a pan of water
  • Once rehydrated, place the pot on the stove and heat over a medium setting until small bubbles appear around the edges (around 85-90℃/ 185-194°F). Remove the kombu and shiitake, you can discard them or finely slice them and add them back into the soup later depending on preference.
    Kombu and shiitake dashi in a pan on the stove

Miso soup

  • Cut 30 g Japanese leek (naganegi) into diagonal pieces and 125 g firm tofu into cubes. Peel 20 g ginger root using a spoon and then cut into thin sticks (julienne). 30 g shimeji mushrooms can be left whole or sliced.
    Cut spring onion, ginger, shimeji mushrooms and firm tofu on a wooden chopping board
  • Add the ginger, tofu, spring onion and mushroom to the dashi and cook until warmed through.
    Spring onion, shimeji mushrooms, ginger and firm tofu cooking in dashi
  • Turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp vegan miso paste to a mesh spoon. Dip the spoon in the dashi and whisk the miso paste to incorporate it into the broth.*
    Whisking plant-based miso paste into dashi using a mesh spoon
  • Pour the miso soup into serving bowls and top with a sprinkle of ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and enjoy!
    Plant based ginger miso soup in a wooden bowl and topped with sesame seeds

Notes

Use cold water for soaking kombu and shiitake to extract the most umami.
Do not boil kombu! Remove it at the first sign of small bubbles to avoid bitterness and sliminess.
Slice and reuse the rehydrated kombu and shiitake for a zero-waste, flavor-rich soup.
Dissolve miso off heat to preserve aroma and beneficial enzymes.
If you don't have a miso strainer or mesh spoon, mix the miso paste in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of hot dashi until smooth then pour it into the pot.
For meal prep, store only the dashi, not finished soup; it keeps 5-7 days in the fridge or 1 month frozen.
Reheat miso soup gently over low heat.