Recipes

Vegan Miso Soup for the Soul

Vegan Miso Soup is a simple, delectable Japanese-inspired dish sure to warm your soul on the coldest of days. Filled with fresh vegetables and protein, it has a healthy medley of flavors.

Miso Soup for the soul is sitting on a kitchen table next to nori (seaweed) for a Japanese dinner.

Miso soup is this amazing, delicious Japanese soup that is so simple and nourishing that I just can’t pass it up whenever I make any type of asian meal. Vegan Miso Soup is my veganized version of miso soup.

It is the best comforting broth-based soup I’ve ever had and so nutritious. I think it’ll be my new go-to recipe when I’m sick or just super cold and over winter. 

Miso soup is a broth-based soup with tofu and veggies added in. It’s slightly salty, with subtle flavors that don’t overwhelm your palate. It can be made in less than 30 minutes, which I am always down for.

I love, love, love making food from scratch, but I always try to prepare and cook food in a convenient way too. I am always looking for ways to speed up the process of different dishes without compromising the flavor. 

This soup is one of those foods you really can’t mess up either. I’ve made it a variety of ways, each time making it slightly different, but this is the basis of the soup and the original way I made it.

It is so good with all the veggies and nice to have the added protein from the tofu. 

I was originally inspired by watching a favorite YouTuber and later began playing around with different miso soup recipes. I’m so glad I did.

I’m sure it was marvelous in its original form, but because I don’t eat fish and only had certain items available at my local store, I had to adapt this recipe. Although it is not 100% authentic, it is inspired by an authentic Japanese recipe. I am so thankful for creators who inspire me to try new dishes. I only wish I had tried this one sooner…

A tub of white miso paste sits on a kitchen counter.

Tools You May Need

Mini whisk

Ladle

Large pot

Chopping board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

Water – This is the base of the broth.

Vegan chick’n bouillon cubes – I buy these at a health food store. It adds a bit of chicken flavor to the broth.

White miso paste – This paste gives it the miso flavor we’re seeking for this traditional soup.

Crushed garlic – I use fresh garlic in this recipe, using a garlic press to crush it.

Scallions – Chop scallions and add as a garnish to your finished dish.

Mushrooms – Fresh mushrooms add depth to this delicious soup.

Firm tofu – I use firm tofu that I press and cube before adding in.

Fresh chopped spinach – Spinach adds some color and flavor to it. Fresh is best.

Salt Add salt to enhance the flavor of the soup.

Vegan Miso Soup – Steps

Pressed tofu has been sliced.
Tofu has been sliced both vertically and horizontally for miso soup.
Firm tofu has been pressed and now diced into bite-size pieces.
  1. Press the tofu and after about 30 minutes cube it into small bite-sized pieces. Rotate the tofu as you cut to get evenly-sized pieces.
  2. Bring the water to a boil and then add the bouillon cubes into the ladle, whisking until completely dissolved. Do the same with the miso paste.
  3. Add crushed garlic along with the tofu into the pot and heat through.
  4. Add in vegetables until cooked to your liking, but no more than 5 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with a traditional Japanese meal or by itself on a cold day.
A vegan chick'n bouillon cube is added to a ladle full of boiling water.
A scoop of white miso is added to a ladle full of boiling water.
A scoop of miso has just been whisked into a ladle of water for making miso soup.

Tips for Making Vegan Miso Soup

  • Miso Soup for the Soul can be made with so many variations, so it’s not necessary to go on a special grocery trip if you happen to be out of a few veggies. I’ve made this recipe omitting the mushrooms (my husband hates them), and I’ve also tried it without tofu, just drinking it as a broth. I’m certain this could be made a variety of other ways too. 
  • If you don’t have a little whisk that will fit into your ladle when stirring the miso and the bouillon cubes into the boiling water, you can use a fork. It won’t work as well, but it will work. Just mash it down well and keep stirring until it dissolves completely. 
Chopped vegetables lay on a wood cutting board, waiting to be added to miso soup.

More Recipe Inspiration

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Vegan Miso Soup

Vegan Miso Soup is a simple, delectable Japanese-inspired dish sure to warm your soul on the coldest of days. Filled with fresh vegetables and protein, it has a healthy medley of flavors.
Course Soup
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword easy soup recipes, japenese dishes, miso soup, vegan miso soup
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Calories 60kcal

Equipment

  • whisk
  • Ladle
  • large pot
  • Chopping board
  • Chef's knife
  • measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 vegan chick'n bouillon cube
  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • 3 cloves crushed garlic
  • 2 scallions
  • 4 oz. fresh mushrooms (1/2 a package)
  • 7 oz. firm tofu (1/2 a package)
  • 1 handful of chopped fresh spinach
  • salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Begin by pressing the tofu in between a folded towel, placing a heavy object on it for around 30 minutes. This will help excess water drain away from it. 
  • Next, put the 6 cups of water on high on the stove, covered, to get the water boiling. 
  • Start cutting your tofu by turning it on its side and making two cuts all the way through. Turn the tofu back on its flat side and make 4-5 cuts lengthwise. Turn the block again, being careful not to let any pieces slip away and then make another 5-6 cuts through the tofu until you have small bite-sized pieces. 
  • While you wait for the water to boil, prep your veggies by washing and then cutting them up. Mushrooms should be sliced, spinach should be chopped, and scallions should also be chopped. 
  • As water begins to boil, take a ladle full of water and drop a bouillon cube into it. Take a small whisk and carefully, over the boiling pot of water, stir into the water in the ladle until completely dissolved. Pour this back into the entire pot to disperse the flavors. Repeat this again with the second bouillon cube and then again with the miso.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer. After stirring the entire pot of soup, add in crushed garlic and cubed tofu until heated through, for a couple of minutes. 
  • Last, add the vegetables and, stirring well, combine and simmer until vegetables are cooked to your liking, but no more than 5 minutes as vegetables can become overcooked and lose their taste and nutrients if boiled too long. Remove from heat and serve in a teacup along with your Japanese meal or enjoy by itself on a cold winter day. 

Notes

Vegan Miso Soup can be made with so many variations, so it’s not necessary to go on a special grocery trip if you happen to be out of a few veggies. I’ve made this recipe without mushrooms, and I’ve also tried it without tofu, just drinking it as a broth. I’m certain this could be made a variety of other ways, too. 
If you don’t have a little whisk that will fit into your ladle when stirring the miso into the boiling water, you can use a fork. It won’t work as well, but it will work. Just mash it down well and keep stirring until it dissolves completely. 

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