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Sweet Potato and Onion Miso Soup (Made with Kombu)
Serves 2 · About 30 min
Miso soup made by soaking kombu in water instead of using bonito stock. The sweetness of the sweet potato and onion melts into the soup for a gentle flavor. No meat, fish, eggs or milk.
① Soak the kombu in water→② Cut the sweet potato and onion→③ Take out the kombu, and simmer the sweet potato and onion→④ Dissolve the miso
What to buy
Vegetables
Dried goods
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🌱 What makes this vegan dish work
Miso soup is usually made with bonito dashi. This one gets its savory flavor and sweetness without any fish.
- Instead of bonito dashi: soak kombu in water for 10 minutes so its flavor goes into the water. Take it out when small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot (if it boils, it turns slimy)
- Sweetness from vegetables: simmering the sweet potato and onion for 8 minutes lets their sweetness melt into the soup, so kombu alone is enough
- Choosing miso: miso with added dashi often contains bonito or other fish extract. Use one whose ingredients are only soybeans, rice (or barley) and salt
- Salt: about 1.7 g per person — less than this site’s Miso Soup with Tofu and Wakame (about 2.2 g)
How to make it
1
Soak the kombu in water
- Put 400 ml water and the kombu in a pot and leave for 10 minutes (do step 2 in the meantime)
How to tell it's doneThe kombu has soaked up water and softened a little.
2
Cut the sweet potato and onion
- Scrub the sweet potato well with a brush. Leaving the skin on, cut it in half lengthwise, then into 1 cm slices (half-moons)
- Soak the cut sweet potato in a bowl of water for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander
- Cut the onion lengthwise into 5 mm slices
How to tell it's doneEverything is cut and the sweet potato is drained.
3
Take out the kombu, and simmer the sweet potato and onion
- Add the sweet potato and onion to the pot from step 1 and put it over medium heat
- When the edges start to bubble gently, take out the kombu with chopsticks
- Turn down to medium-low and simmer for about 8 minutes
How to tell it's doneA skewer (or chopstick) slides easily into the sweet potato, and the onion is translucent.
Be carefulIf kombu boils hard, the soup gets slimy and smells of the sea. Take it out when it starts to bubble.
4
Dissolve the miso
- Turn off the heat and dissolve 1 1/2 tbsp miso in a ladle, then stir it in
- Turn to low, and when the edges start to bubble, turn off the heat before it boils
- Taste it. If it’s bland, add miso 1 tsp at a time
ReadyNo lumps of miso are left.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
It tastes blandWhen you taste in step 4, add miso 1 tsp at a time.
The sweet potato fell apartIt simmered too long in step 3. Next time, go to step 4 as soon as a skewer slides in.
It’s slimy or smells of the seaThe kombu boiled in step 3. Next time, take it out as soon as it starts to bubble.
The sweet potato turned darkIt wasn’t soaked in step 2. Next time, soak it in water for 5 minutes right after cutting.
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