Get that perfect Miso taste with these 7 miso paste substitutes (gluten-free & soy-free options!)

Video Description

Today I want to look at things to substitute miso paste with if you don't have any, or are allergic in any way. A very important part of my kitchen is the spicy, umami flavor of miso paste. In a pinch? Check out my favorite miso paste here: https://amzn.to/3f8FxXk (if you buy something through this link I might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It's how I support the channel) It’s mainly used for soups, but you can add it to a great salad dressing or even a marinade for your meat. Check out the full article on my blog: https://www.bitemybun.com/miso-paste-substitute/ If you like Japanese food, you should get our free recipe quick guide, it's the ultimate EASY quick guide with our favorite recipes: https://www.bitemybun.com/free-japanese-cookbook/ In this video: 00:00 Intro 00:17 How to use miso 00:38 What is miso 01:03 Gluten-free miso 01:22 Soy free miso 01:56 Substitute with Soy sauce 02:20 Substitute with tahini 02:39 Substitute with salt 02:47 Substitute with fish sauce 02:56 Substitute with vegetable stock A lot of you asked me what a good miso substitute was for their gluten-free diet, and even one asked for a soy-free one because miso is often made of soybeans and barley or other grains. There are, luckily, some alternatives! Miso is typically produced through the fermentation of soybeans with grains and salt. There are numerous variants with various levels of strength, color, and flavor. Alternating a form of miso with another doesn’t always taste the same even if food allergies or intolerances are not a factor. Nonetheless, here’s a rundown of what to think about when you or the person you want to cook for can not eat gluten or soy. Gluten-Free Miso: Most times, but not always, Miso contains grains. Check the label for grains containing gluten such as barley (Japanese mugi ortsubu), wheat (tsuba), or rye (hadakamugi). Some gluten-free grains are rice (Genmai), sobamugi, and millet (kibi). Also, if you buy prepared miso soup, be aware that it is usually made from soy sauce, found to contain wheat; so tamari might be a better option without gluten. Soy-Free Miso: It’s harder to find good soy-free miso, but you can get a great miso paste out of chickpeas from Miso Master (which is my favorite) and the South River Miso Company. If you want to make it yourself you should prepare yourself for a fermentation process of about a year before it’ll be done, so in my book, that’s not the best option. I have the link to both of these types in my article below. So, miso is a fermented soybean paste. I read somewhere that Japanese monks invented miso and soy sauce to incorporate great flavors into vegetarian meals (also called ‘umami’). So it’s a very useful ingredient to add a lot of flavors. THE BEST SUBSTITUTES FOR MISO PASTE SOY SAUCE If I don’t have any miso paste left, the first thing I grab is just plain soy sauce as it delivers a salty / umami /savory hit close to that of miso. The only drawbacks are that soy sauce is much saltier than miso, so you should add a bit less and work my way up as required. Miso also has a more creamy structure than the soy liquid, so you might want to add something else with that creamy texture, depending on the dish you’re making. TAHINI Tahini is a paste made from seeds of soil sesame. This looks a bit like miso paste and has a similar texture to replace it in recipes where you want to avoid miso paste. If a recipe uses large amounts of miso, tahini probably won’t work as the flavor profile is more smooth and nutty compared to the salty/savory taste of miso. SALT If a recipe only needs a small amount of miso and has plenty of other ingredients, you might just need to add a little salt. FISH SAUCE Fish sauce is similar to soy sauce, adding salt and umami. Nevertheless, a little goes a long way, so start small. VEGETABLE STOCK For soups, instead of miso, a full-flavored vegetable stock will work. Hope this video has helped you with your cooking.