Source: https://verify-veg.com/blog/is-miso-soup-vegetarian/
Language: en

# Is Miso Soup Vegetarian? (Dashi & Bonito, Explained)

Miso soup is one of those dishes where the answer is not in the ingredients you can see. The miso
paste is plant-based, but the broth it is dissolved into is usually made from fish. Here is what
makes miso soup non-vegetarian, and how to find the vegan version.

> **Key Takeaways**
> - Miso soup is usually not vegetarian: the broth is made with dashi from dried bonito fish.
> - The miso paste itself is plant-based, and so are the tofu, wakame and scallions.
> - Even "instant" miso soup packets usually contain fish-based dashi.
> - Ask for kombu (seaweed) dashi, or check the packet for bonito or fish powder.

**TL;DR: Miso soup is usually not vegetarian.** The miso paste is plant-based, but the broth is
almost always made with dashi from katsuobushi: dried bonito (fish) flakes. Vegan miso soup uses
kombu (seaweed) dashi instead.

## The miso is fine: the dashi isn't

Miso paste is fermented soybeans, salt and koji: vegan. The problem is the stock it's dissolved
into:

- **Katsuobushi dashi**: made from dried, smoked skipjack tuna. **Not vegetarian.** This is the default.
- **Kombu dashi**: made from kelp. **Vegan.**
- **Niboshi dashi**: made from dried sardines. Also not vegetarian.

Most restaurants (and many instant packets) use katsuobushi dashi, so a bowl of miso soup with no
visible fish is still not vegetarian.

## What else is in it

- **Wakame** (seaweed): vegetarian
- **Tofu**: vegetarian
- **Scallions**: vegetarian
- Sometimes clams (asari) or fish cakes

## How to get vegan miso soup

- Ask if the dashi is **kombu-only**.
- Check instant packets for "katsuobushi", "bonito", "fish powder" or "dashi (fish)".
- Many vegan Japanese restaurants and health brands sell kombu-dashi miso.

## The bottom line

- **Vegetarian?** Only if made with kombu dashi.
- **Vegan?** Same: the rest of the ingredients are already plant-based.

See our [Miso Soup dish guide](/food/japan/miso-soup/) and our [Japanese food guide](/food/japan/common-ingredients/).

**Check before you eat.** The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a
photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more).
[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verifyveg-vegan-scanner/id6758276834) - 
Android is coming soon.

*Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food
against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.*

*Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and
preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.*