🍯 Sauces & Condiments

Miso Soup Substitute - Make Miso Soup Without Miso Paste

Learn how to make miso soup without miso paste. Get complete recipes, ingredient substitutions, and tips for authentic-tasting miso soup alternatives.

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Quick Answer

To make miso soup without miso paste, use dashi broth + soy sauce + a touch of sugar. For 4 servings: 4 cups dashi, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, plus tofu, seaweed, and scallions.

Best Substitutes

Dashi + Soy Sauce + Sugar

4 cups dashi + 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp sugar for 4 servings

Classic miso soup base using dashi broth with soy sauce and sugar for umami and sweetness

Best for:

miso soupclear soupslight broths

Best substitute for miso soup. Add tofu, seaweed, and scallions for authentic flavor.

Vegetable Broth + Soy Sauce + Nutritional Yeast

4 cups vegetable broth + 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast for 4 servings

Vegetarian miso soup alternative with umami depth from nutritional yeast

Best for:

vegetarian miso soupvegan soupslight broths

Good vegetarian option. Nutritional yeast adds umami depth similar to miso.

Chicken Broth + Soy Sauce + Fish Sauce

4 cups chicken broth + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp fish sauce for 4 servings

Rich miso soup alternative using chicken broth with umami enhancers

Best for:

hearty miso souprich brothscomfort soups

More flavorful option. Fish sauce adds umami depth similar to miso.

Kombu Dashi + Soy Sauce + Mirin

4 cups kombu dashi + 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp mirin for 4 servings

Traditional Japanese-style soup using kombu seaweed dashi

Best for:

authentic Japanese souplight brothstraditional soups

Most authentic option. Kombu dashi provides natural umami flavor.

Cooking Tips

  • 💡Start with a good dashi broth base - this is the foundation of miso soup
  • 💡Add soy sauce gradually and taste as you go - it's easier to add more than to fix oversalted soup
  • 💡A touch of sugar helps balance the saltiness and mimics miso's natural sweetness
  • 💡Add tofu, wakame seaweed, and scallions for authentic miso soup ingredients
  • 💡Don't boil the soup after adding soy sauce - it can make it bitter
  • 💡For vegetarian miso soup, use vegetable broth and nutritional yeast for umami
  • 💡For a richer flavor, add a small amount of fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Learn how to make miso soup without miso paste. Get complete recipes, ingredient substitutions, and tips for authentic-tasting miso soup alternatives.