I’m a devoted miso soup lover, and I wanted to turn that simple starter into a satisfying main dish. This vegan creamy miso noodle soup with sesame-crusted tofu elevates miso to a full meal—comforting, rich and quick to prepare. With a few fresh ingredients you can make a cozy bowl: sautéed vegetables, miso, coconut cream and vegetable broth, finished with crisp sesame tofu and udon or rice noodles.
Baking the tofu after coating it in black and white sesame seeds toasts the seeds and creates a delightful crunch and nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the creamy miso broth. I prefer udon noodles in this soup because they’re thick and slurp-worthy; most udon sold commercially is vegan, but always check packaging if you want to be certain.
This soup balances salty miso with a touch of tang from rice wine vinegar and sweetness from agave, plus rich coconut cream for silkiness. It’s versatile and quick to customize: keep it as a broth with veggies, add noodles but skip tofu, or enjoy the tofu and broth without noodles. I love the full assembly—noodle, broth and sesame tofu.
Vegan Creamy Miso Noodle Soup with Sesame Tofu
Main Course, Soup
15 mins
30 mins
45 mins
4
502
Lauren Hartmann
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 block (15 oz) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (GF option)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup white sesame seeds (more as needed)
- 1/3 cup black sesame seeds (more as needed)
For the Soup
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tbsp white miso paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 12 oz udon noodles or rice noodles
- Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- After pressing the tofu, slice it into thin squares and set aside.
- Prepare three bowls: one with vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar whisked together; a second with cornstarch and salt; a third with white and black sesame seeds.
- Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Working in batches, coat tofu pieces in the cornstarch mixture, shake off excess, then dip into the liquid bowl to coat evenly.
- Press each piece into the sesame seed bowl to coat both sides, pressing seeds on if needed. Place coated tofu on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 15 minutes or until firm and golden.
- While the tofu bakes, heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add green onions and garlic and sauté 2–3 minutes, then add mushrooms.
- Sauté mushrooms until they begin to brown, about 5–7 minutes. Season lightly with salt.
- Stir the miso paste into the mushrooms until combined.
- Add vegetable broth, coconut cream, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and agave. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until tofu is ready. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or red pepper flakes.
- If using fresh udon, turn off the heat and stir the noodles into the soup, letting them soften for a few minutes. For dried noodles, add them at the end and simmer according to package directions—add them last so they don’t overcook or absorb too much liquid.
- Serve bowls topped with sesame-crusted tofu and extra green onions.
Notes
*Sesame seeds can clump as you coat the tofu; add more seeds to the bowl as needed to keep an even coating.
Nutrition
Carbs: 79 g |
Protein: 27 g |
Fat: 28 g
