Instant Miso Bouillon
Miso is a great way to add a LOT of umami to soups and stews. Adding garlic, onions, and mushrooms to miso results in a flavor-packed instant miso bouillon that is gluten-free, vegan, zero-waste, and delicious!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Miso
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup dried split peas (or soybeans)
- 4 cups of water, divided
- 2 medium-sized leeks
- 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley
- 2 cups koji rice (or koji barley)
- 1/2 cup sea salt (non-iodized)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp mature fermented miso (optional)
- 1 tsp of sea salt (for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- Place the split peas in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of water and leave them to soak for at least 8 hours (I usually let them soak overnight).
- Strain the water. Place the peas back into the pot with the remaining 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until they are soft (about 1 hour for peas, 2 to 4 hours for soybeans).
- When the peas are soft, strain the water, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in the reserved cooking water. Leave the peas and the mushrooms to cool to just above room temperature (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).
- Trim the tough green leaves off of the leeks and dice the stalks. Wash the parsley and remove the leaves from the stems. Place them in a blender or food processor with the split peas, mushrooms, and reserved cooking water. Add in the koji rice, 1/2 cup of sea salt, ground black pepper, and mature miso (if available). Pulse until everything has a smooth, even consistency.
- Pour boiling water into your jars to sanitize them. This recipe will fit 2-quart-sized jars or a 1 1/2-quart jar. Wash your hands well. Then pack the mixture into the jars for fermentation. I typically do this by hand. It’s important to leave headroom because the liquid will come up as the miso ferments.
- Sprinkle on a bit of salt, and use a weight to press the miso as it ferments. Cap with a lid to keep pests out. Place the jar somewhere cool and dark to ferment for at least 5 months and up to several years.
Notes
- I usually hand-mash my miso for a rustic consistency. However, I enjoy miso bouillon better when it is smooth. This will help it disappear into your meals.
- I don’t have enough weights to devote to my jars of miso. So I often use rocks that I have sanitized by boiling them for 5 minutes. Then I place the rocks on top of parchment paper on my miso to prevent the rocks from sliding into the mash.