18 Must-Try Vegan Recipes with Miso

Bought a tub of miso paste for one dish and don’t know what to do with the rest? Read on for over a dozen amazing vegan recipes with miso.

Miso – the Japanese fermented soybean paste – is a magical ingredient. You’ve likely already tasted it as the star of miso soup, though you may not have realized you can use it in a bijillion other ways.

Miso paste has been a staple of my condiment arsenal ever since I transitioned to mostly plant-based cooking about a decade ago.

If miso is new to you, think of it as an express train to Flavortown. Just a little bit (usually 1 to 2 tablespoons) goes a long way to add savoriness to almost any soup, stew, marinade, sauce, dressing, pasta, you name it.

Benefits of Using Miso in Vegan Cooking

Miso has a salty, savory, and slightly sweet taste, and is one of the easiest ways to add savoriness (a.k.a. umami) to vegan meals. In non-vegan dishes, umami usually comes from meat, fish, or cheese. Although there are plant-based ingredients that are just as rich in umami (like mushrooms and tomatoes), miso is a concentrated source.

Miso is also the secret to vegan dishes that you want to taste “cheesy”. Especially when combined with nutritional yeast, the paste creates that salty, savory flavor we anticipate from dairy (like my miso risotto, for example).

How Long Does Miso Last

Don’t be hesitant to buy your first tub of miso. It lasts up to 1 year in the fridge (as long as the tub is tightly-closed), which gives you ample time to experiment with it.