This Vegan Dashi, or Shiitake Kombu Dashi, is a plant-based Japanese soup inventory made with dried shiitake mushrooms and dried kelp. Whereas this umami-rich inventory is ideal for vegans and vegetarians, it’s a flexible inventory that anybody can get pleasure from. It’s very simple to make and you should use it in all types of Japanese recipes, from miso soup to simmered kabocha squash.
The usual dashi, or Japanese soup inventory, contains katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) or iriko/niboshi (anchovy). Subsequently, you’ll have heard that “dashi will not be vegan/vegetarian-friendly.” Properly, that’s not solely true, and we do use plant-based kombu dashi or shiitake dashi for a lot of recipes.
Immediately, I need to share this umami-rich Vegan Dashi (精進だし) made with each dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu.

What’s Vegan Dashi?
Known as Shojin Dashi (精進だし, 精進出汁), this plant-based Japanese soup inventory is made with umami-rich kombu (edible dried kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms.
This recipe is for you if…
- You’re a vegan/vegetarian.
- You need to make genuine Japanese meals.
- You’re allergic to fish or don’t just like the fishy style.
- You might be in search of a plant-based dashi recipe.
You may nonetheless use kombu dashi for vegan recipes, however including dried shiitake mushrooms yield an additional layer of umami and deep flavors.
What Are Kombu and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms?

You probably have by no means used kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms earlier than, these substances may look intimidating. However don’t be! They’re quite simple; you simply should slowly rehydrate them to extract the flavors.
You probably have a while now, you’ll be able to observe the hyperlinks under and browse extra concerning the substances, well being advantages, storage, and extra.
The place to Purchase
You should buy kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in Japanese and Asian grocery shops. Amazon additionally sells them.
The way to Retailer
I typically get requested this query. I retailer my dried substances like kombu, katsuobushi, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried anchovies, wakame seaweed (wakame), and all types of flours in these OXO hermetic containers (I take advantage of 0.6QT / 1.1QT / 2.8 QT / 4.4 QT containers).

The very best half about making Japanese soup inventory is that the substances are all the time prepared within the pantry and also you simply want half-hour to make the inventory.

The way to Make Vegan Dashi
Substances You’ll Want
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Soak the kombu seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms in water for not less than half-hour, ideally 6 hours. That is chilly brew vegan dashi.
- Prepare dinner the chilly brew vegan dashi in a pot till virtually simmering. Utilizing a fine-mesh skimmer, skim the froth on the chilly brew dashi.
- Pressure the vegan dashi, and it’s prepared to make use of.
💡 Cooking Tip: Save the spent kombu and shiitake mushrooms in an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for every week or within the freezer for as much as a month. You may repurpose the leftover kombu to make Simmered Kombu and Selfmade Furikake (Rice Seasoning) and use the hydrated shiitake mushrooms similar to how you’ll use contemporary shiitake mushrooms.
Recipes You Can Use Vegan Dashi

The Final Dashi Information on Simply One Cookbook
Dashi performs an vital position as a taste enhancer in Japanese cooking, so that you don’t must season the meals with an excessive amount of salt, fats, and sugar. Wealthy in minerals and different nutritional vitamins, dashi is taken into account a wholesome ingredient in our day by day weight loss program.
There are 5 several types of dashi you should use in Japanese cooking, together with vegetarian and vegan dashi (*).
- Kombu Dashi → produced from kombu (dried kelp)*
- Katsuo Dashi → produced from katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- Iriko Dashi → produced from iriko or niboshi (dried anchovies/sardines)
- Shiitake Dashi → produced from dried shiitake mushrooms*
- Awase Dashi → produced from a mixture of all above or two (e.g., kombu + katsuobushi)

Want to be taught extra about Japanese cooking? Join our free publication to obtain cooking suggestions & recipe updates! And keep in contact with me on Fb, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Vegan Dashi (Shiitake Kombu Dashi)
This Vegan Dashi, or Shiitake Kombu Dashi, is a plant-based Japanese soup inventory made with dried shiitake mushrooms and dried kelp. Whereas this umami-rich inventory is ideal for vegans and vegetarians, it is a versatile inventory that anybody can get pleasure from. It’s totally simple to make and you should use it in all types of Japanese recipes, from miso soup to simmered kabocha squash.
Substances
Directions
Earlier than You Begin…
-
Please notice that this dashi requires a minimal steeping time of half-hour. Ideally, we let the dashi steep for 2-3 hours within the summertime and 4-5 hours within the wintertime.
-
Collect all of the substances. Most Japanese recipes advocate gently cleansing the kombu with a moist fabric. Nonetheless, kombu is fairly clear today. Simply be sure that to mud off and take away mould spots, if any. Don’t wash or wipe off the white powdery substance because it has a number of umami. For the dried shiitake mushrooms, examine if there may be any mud or dust trapped in its gills beneath the caps. If there may be, use a pastry brush to clear it off. Don’t wash it beneath water.
To Chilly Brew the Vegan Dashi (Mizudashi)
-
Put the kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in a big bottle. Then, add the measured water.
-
Put the cap on and let it steep on the counter for not less than half-hour to extract the kombu’s taste naturally. If attainable, let it steep for 2-3 hours within the summertime and 4-5 hours within the wintertime. You can even chilly brew it in a single day within the fridge. After steeping, it is now prepared to make use of as chilly brew Vegan Dashi. You may both take away the kombu and shiitake from the bottle now, or go to the following step to extract much more taste. See my ideas on the finish of the recipe for how you can repurpose the spent kombu and shiitake.
To Extract Extra Taste from the Chilly Brew Vegan Dashi
To Retailer
-
In case you are not utilizing the Vegan Dashi instantly, hold it in a bottle or hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for 4-5 days or within the freezer for two weeks. I like to recommend utilizing it sooner for the most effective taste.
To Use the Spent Kombu and Shiitake