Are you looking for tasty and easy vegetarian/vegan dashi?
Although bonito dashi is one of the most popular dashi when making Japanese cuisine, I believe some people are really looking for the dashi that is not animal-based soup stock.
Here, I would like to introduce the 6 best vegetarian/vegan substitutes for dashi. They are very delicious yet super easy to make. Also, I will explain what kind of cooking the dashi should be used for. Please check them out!
1. Kombu Dashi
Kombu dashi is soup stock made by soaking dried kombu (kelp) in cold water or boiling water. Kombu is one of the most popular dashi material as well as dried bonito shavings in Japan. These two are materials that every Japanese uses.
It contains abundant nutrients and the dashi made from kombu will have plenty of umami.
It smells like the sea if it’s just the dashi stock itself, but produces a wonderful taste by using it as a base for cooking
If you can get the dried kombu, or the kombu dashi granules, you will definitely be able to make genuine Japanese dashi and professional taste.
Please check this page for details of Kombu.
What Is Kombu and How Is It Used?
2. Shiitake Mushroom Dashi
Shiitake dashi is soup stock made by soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water. Since this type of dried mushrooms contain abundant umami ingredient, it became the most essential mushroom for making dashi in Japan.
I would say bonito dashi and kombu dashi are the top two ingredients for Japanese dashi, but shiitake mushrooms are the second most popular material after them.
Although it has unique scent of the shiitake by itself, once it’s put in the cooking, it would be great.
Please check this page for details of Shiitake Dashi Recipe.
Best Quick Shiitake Dashi Recipe
3. Soybean Dashi
Soybean dashi is made by soaking fried soybeans in boiling water.
As you may know, soybeans are indispensable ingredients for Japanese people because we make a lot of seasonings and processed foods from them, for instance, soy sauce, miso, tofu, and natto.
In fact, this is also the standard ingredient when it comes to shojin dashi that is used in shojin ryori (Buddhist vegan cuisine).
When making shojin dashi, it’s often made from various materials including soybeans, kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and so on. However, using only soybeans is also great way to make delicious vegan soup stock.
Dried soybeans have extremely savory flavor, and you can make new type of dashi with them.
Please check this page for details of Soybean Dashi Recipe.
Best Easy Soybean Dashi Recipe
4. Shojin Dashi
As I mentioned above, shojin dashi is the essential material in Buddhist vegan cuisine.
There are no strict rules on how to make shojin dashi, however, generally you should avoid animal products and vegetables with a strong scent like green onion and garlic.
The popular ingredients for shojin dashi are kombu, shiitake mushrooms, and soybeans. By using several kinds of ingredients, you can create deeper umami taste.
Please check this page for details of Shojin Dashi Recipe.
The Best Vegan Soup Stock Recipe (Shojin Dashi)
5. Onion Skin Dashi
Onion skin dashi is made by soaking onion skins in water.
The great part is that you can prepare the raw material, onion skins so easy. If you can’t get the ingredients listed above, maybe this is the perfect recipe for you.
Onion dashi has the nice, gentle flavor of onion and contains wonderful umami taste. You can definitely upgrade the cooking by using this onion dashi instead of just water.
There is a little trick to get very delicious onion skin dashi. Please check the recipe carefully!
Please check this page for details of Onion Skin Dashi Recipe.
Best Easy Onion Skin Dashi Recipe
6. Vegetable Dashi
Vegetable dashi is made by boiling frozen vegetable scraps in water.
Feel free to use various vegetable scraps at your home such as carrot skin and calyx, paprika seeds, and cabbage core. Vegetable waste that you usually throw away can be used effectively.
The taste could differ depending on what kind of vegetable and which part of vegetable you use. So, please try to find your favorite ingredients for tasty vegetable dashi.
Please check this page for details of Vegetable Dashi Recipe.
Best Easy Vegetable Dashi Recipe
Conclusion
Kombu dashi and shiitake dashi are top two for a vegetarian/vegan diet. These contains abundant umami ingredients and you can cook authentic Japanese cuisine with the dashi.
In addition to these, you can make tasty vegetarian/vegan dashi with soybeans and various vegetable scraps. If it’s difficult to get some dried kombu and shiitake mushrooms, please do not throw away the vegetable waste. These would help you a lot!!
