Easy Homemade Vegan Miso Soup (7 Ingredients)

Ready in 30 minutes, this homemade vegan miso soup is easy enough to make on a weeknight. It’s packed with flavor, and even though the recipe calls for more traditional ingredients, I’ve included some easier-to-find substitutes!

Miso soup is my ultimate sick day food. Its depth of flavor, belly-filling warmth, and delicious umami always seem to kick whatever cold I have to the curb. Plus, I can always add tons of add-ins for a more filling meal or keep it simple if I don’t feel like eating much. But don’t worry—you don’t need to be sick to eat it!

You can buy miso soup pre-made or a “just add water” version in almost every supermarket. Sometimes, however, store-bought miso soup is made with fermented skipjack tuna or dried fish flakes, known as Katsuobushi. I obviously thought we needed a vegan version, and so here we are! Let’s get cooking.

Grab these ingredients

By nature, miso soup has miso paste (fermented soy bean paste) which is packed with umami, so tons of flavor! But to mimic the dried fish that we do not have in here, I added a variety of vegetables to this vegan miso soup that have similar umami. Jump to the recipe card for the measurements.

• Kombu: Kombu is a type of seaweed traditionally found in miso. You can find it in most Asian supermarkets! If you are having trouble finding kombu, leave it out of the recipe and add ¼ cup of soy sauce to help develop that umami flavor. Or replace all of the dashi (kombu broth) with vegetable broth.
• Miso: Miso paste is a delicious fermented condiment found in most grocery stores’ refrigerator section. It adds savory deliciousness to this soup.
• Shiitake Mushrooms: Any type of mushroom will do well here, but I like using shiitakes for their rich flavor and texture.
• Bok Choy: I love the crispy crunch of bok choy! It makes this miso soup ultra-nourishing.
• Tofu: Silken tofu adds a nice texture to this soup without overpowering the other delicate flavors.
• Green Onions: Finish it off with one of my favorite types of onions, green onions (aka scallions).

How to make Tofu Miso Soup

Making this miso soup is super simple and quick! It only takes 20 minutes, start to finish, to develop an intense depth of flavor. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Step 1: Make the Dashi
The first step is to make the dashi. Dashi is a broth made from kombu seaweed. It is traditionally a family stock often using a recipe passed down from generations. To make this one, add kombu to water and set over medium/high heat. Heat, watching closely, until water is steaming and just about to boil. Remove and discard the kombu.

Step 2: Soupify
Sometimes miso can seize when introduced to liquid, so I’ve developed a trick to make sure it fully incorporates! Place miso in a soup ladle. Slowly lower it into the hot broth, whisking miso in the ladle while lowering, until miso is fully dissolved into the soup.

Step 3: Fillings
Add mushrooms, bok choy, and tofu. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer to get everything nice and hot.

Step 4: Serve
The last step is to add the green onions to ensure their punchy flavors stay intact. Stir in the green onions and serve!

Recipe tips

Variations: This broth can be used in many ways. I like to add it to ramen noodles, but you could also use a splash in mashed potatoes or to make a salad dressing. Miso’s umami flavor is incredibly versatile.

More Mix-Ins: With this broth, you can add many different filling ingredients. This could be radishes, carrots, spinach, bean sprouts, or a meat if not making this miso soup vegetarian.

Why This Recipe Works

Since you are probably already making this amazing soup, you may not be fully paying attention to what I am about to say. But if you are, here are more reasons why you should already be making the soup!

• Vegan-friendly might seem obvious, but not all miso is vegan, so this one ticks that box!
• Easy to make is another win for this soup. It only takes 4 steps and 30 minutes (including prep). And my personal favorite sign of an easy recipe is that it all cooks in one pot so less clean up!
• Versatility is the name of the game. I mean, what other dish can you eat on its own, use in mashed potatoes, or add to amp up the flavor of a glaze?

Miso Soup Pairings

If you need more to eat with this vegan miso soup, try any of these tasty dishes!

• Thai Cucumber Salad: Crunchy and tangy, this cucumber-based salad pairs with the savory umami soup perfectly.
• Zucchini Corn Salad: Zucchini and corn salad is easy to whip up and is nice and filling.
• Teriyaki Chickpeas: Ready in 20 minutes on the stove!

Love soup? Check out our soup du jour guide (it’s a formula for making soup with any ingredient!).