This Japanese wakame miso soup with cabbage is heartwarming, cozy and incredibly comforting to have. All you need is a few simple ingredients and 30 minutes to make this soup. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free and packed full of nutrients!
If you have yet to try making your own miso soup yet, you are definitely missing out! It is surprisingly easy to make your own at home, and it is ready in almost no time. Plus, you can easily customize, swap or add-in whatever ingredients that you like.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Flavorsome, umami and soul-soothing - This version of miso wakame soup taste even better than restaurant-made ones in my opinion! It is perfectly seasoned, packed full of flavor and is like a hug in a bowl.
- Simple and quick to make - This vegan miso soup might be one of the easiest soups to make! Everything is ready in 30 minutes, and is beginner-friendly too.
- Healthy and nourishing - Made only with wholesome plant ingredients, this soup is packed with veggies, allergen-friendly and low in calories. Plus, miso contains a good amount of gut-friendly probiotics.
- Versatile and customizable - You can customize and swap or add-in ingredients to suit your taste buds! This Japanese cabbage miso soup pairs well with almost any Asian mains, or you can just have it as it is along with some freshly steamed rice.
🤔Types of miso
There are 3 major types of miso available in the market - white, red and yellow. As for which one to use, it all comes down to personal preference. Below is a quick rundown of these 3 types of miso -
White - As the name suggested, it has a slightly yellowish beige color. Due to its shorter fermentation length, it is milder-tasting and has a subtle sweet flavor. White miso is one of the most common types of miso, and is made from rice, soybeans and barley.
Red - When compared to white miso, it is stronger and saltier due to its long fermentation time. Its color ranges from amber to dark rusty red. It is normal for color of red miso to darken over time, and has a long shelf-life due to its high salt content. Like the white ones, it also mainly consist of rice, soybeans and barley.
Yellow/blended - A blend of both red and white miso.
🥣What you will need
📃Notes/substitutions
- Miso - As stated above, you can use any kinds of miso, be it white, red or yellow. I am using white miso here. For more info regarding types of miso paste, I recommend reading the section "types of miso paste" above.
- Cabbage - Feel free to use red cabbage or napa cabbage in place.
- Gluten-free - Miso paste is oftentimes gluten-free, but you can always read through ingredient label just to be sure!
- Vegan - Fortunately, most miso paste are naturally vegan, and are only made from plant based ingredients. However, sometimes fish-derived ingredients might be added, so do read the label before purchasing!
🔪How to make
Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place in kombu and soak for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
In the meantime, rehydrate wakame by soaking it in some hot or warm water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Remove kombu from water. Bring kombu stock to a simmer, then add in cabbage. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cabbage are tender.
Turn off heat and add in miso paste, a tablespoon at a time. Stir until miso has dissolved completely.
Next, add in silken tofu along with the rehydrated wakame. You can serve it right away, or heat soup on low until it starts to simmer. Do not boil your soup after adding miso in!
✔Helpful tips
- Gently clean kombu with a damp cloth instead of rinsing it with water. This will help preserve its umami flavor.
- If you have some extra time on hand, let your kombu soak longer, for up to an hour. The longer you soak your seaweed, the more flavorsome your broth will be.
- Always turn off heat before adding in miso paste, and never boil your cabbage miso soup. Cooking at high temperature will kill off the beneficial probiotics in it.
- Soak wakame in hot water instead of adding it directly to your soup. This will remove some of its natural saltiness, and prevent your wakame miso soup from turning out to be too salty.
✨Variations/add-ins
Veggies - Onion, carrot, napa cabbage or turnip.
Mushrooms - You can use mushrooms of any kind! Some popular varieties includes enoki, button mushrooms, shiitake and shimeji.
Tofu puffs or yuba (dried tofu skin) - Add them in along with silken tofu and wakame.
Cooked or fresh noodles - Udon, soba, ramen or even wheat noodles. You might have to double the ingredients for your Japanese cabbage miso soup.
Toppings - Toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions and small sheets of nori are wonderful additions that provides extra texture and flavor to your soup.
🍚Serving suggestions
This wakame miso soup is incredibly versatile, and can be served as an appetizer, side or even main dish.
- For a traditional Japanese meal - serve with steamed rice and side dishes like vegan teriyaki chicken, wakame salad and vegan tamagoyaki.
- Hearty noodle dishes - Teriyaki soba noodles, Gochujang noodles, vegan Japchae
- Sushi rolls or onigiri
- Your favorite kind of toasted bread
- Simply have your cabbage miso soup on its own as a light lunch or dinner!
❔Commonly asked questions
Most miso paste available on the market are free from animal products, and are naturally vegan. However, a small fraction of them do contain fish-derived products, so it is highly recommended that you scan through the ingredients list just to be sure!
Leftover cabbage miso soup will last in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just make sure to heat up your soup on low heat to prevent it from boiling! You will not want to kill the beneficial probiotics in miso.
2 of the most common seaweed used in miso soup are kombu and wakame. Kombu is used to make dashi, or the soup base, while wakame is used as a garnish.
🍁More cozy vegan recipes
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📖 Recipe
Japanese Wakame Miso Soup with Cabbage
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 2 medium kombu pieces
- ¼ cup dried wakame
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 4-5 tablespoons miso
- 1 block silken tofu cubed (about 12oz/350g)
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place in kombu and soak for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.5 cups water, 2 medium kombu pieces
- In the meantime, rehydrate wakame by soaking it in some hot or warm water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.¼ cup dried wakame
- Remove kombu from water. Bring kombu stock to a simmer, then add in cabbage. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cabbage are tender.2 cups shredded cabbage
- Turn off heat and add in miso paste, a tablespoon at a time. Stir until miso has dissolved completely.4-5 tablespoons miso
- Next, add in silken tofu along with the rehydrated wakame. You can serve it right away, or heat soup on low until it starts to simmer. Do not boil soup after adding in miso!1 block silken tofu
Notes
- Gently clean kombu with a damp cloth instead of rinsing it with water. This will help preserve its umami flavor.
- If you have some extra time on hand, let your kombu soak longer, for up to an hour. The longer you soak your seaweed, the more flavorsome your broth will be.
- Always turn off heat before adding in miso paste, and do not boil your cabbage miso soup. Cooking at high temperature will kill off the beneficial probiotics in it.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Holly
Great recipe! Love all the depth of flavors. People love when I make this along side broccoli and chicken chicken.
What can I do with the Kombu after I take it out of the broth?
I don’t want to waste it!
Meesha
Glad to hear that! I love making kombu salad using the hydrated kombu. To do so, simply slice it into thin strips, and follow the seasonings used in this recipe - https://www.myplantifulcooking.com/wakame-seaweed-salad/ . You might have to adjust seasonings to taste. Hope this helps!