Chickpea Miso Soup (Soy Free)

I’ve always loved miso soup. When I used to go out for sushi, it would be one of my favourite parts of the meal! But alas, when I heard it is traditionally made with bonito flakes (dried fish), I had to find a substitute that would taste equally delicious and not stir up the liver! Voila - here it is!

This miso soup is vegan, gluten free AND soy free! How you ask? I used a home made Vegan Dashi recipe which takes all of 20 minutes to prepare, and procured a chickpea miso paste (Fermenstation brand) from Market Organics, which negates the soy! This jar of chickpea miso paste (video below) is AN INDULGENCE, so you’ll definitely want to limit how much you use for these soups!

I’m not quite at the point of making my own miso paste (though I haven’t yet ruled it out!). I don’t usually recommended fermented foods for optimal health, but if you are really craving an umami flavour with some wonderful health benefits, this could be the trick! This recipe is a wonderful substitute for a traditional miso, especially when you’re healing!

Some words of caution: Miso pastes are naturally high in SODIUM, so limit your intake to what I’ve suggested on the recipe, and definitely do not add any more salt to this soup. The quantities I’ve used provide a lovely umami flavour but keep the sodium at a reasonably low level. Secondly, if you are experiencing a serious health concern, I would not recommend this recipe for you at this stage. Stay intuitive about what you eat and experiment for yourself!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!