Today is all about less-explored vegan Japanese dishes! Since one hardly ever finds dairy in Japanese dishes, it’s easy to put a vegan spin on many of the classics. In this list we have both sweet and savoury recipes for you to try out!
Sweet:
1. Dango
Click here for the recipe.
Dango is a vegan Japanese dessert made with simple ingredients like sticky rice flour and sugar. You must have seen the emoji with the three colourful balls on a skewer – that’s Dango! Firm, colorful rice balls that are sweet and chewy, and oh-so-appealing.
2. Japanese Purin (Japanese Crème Caramel)
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Purin, like ‘pudding’, is a type of sweet custard topped with a bitter-sweet caramel. This recipe is basically a vegan Japanese version of flan, creme caramel, or caramel custard. It’s a quick dessert to whip up as it uses very simple ingredients. Try it out!
3. Matcha Nama Chocolate
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Nama chocolate is basically a ganache cut into squares and served chilled. This kind of chocolate is very popular in Japan and available in many different flavours. With the texture of truffles, it is tender, chewy, and melts in your mouth.
4. Wagashi
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Wagashi is a category of desserts ranging from simple Mochi to street foods like Taiyaki, to more classical Nerikiri wagashi. Most wagashi is traditionally made from ingredients like rice flour, beans and agar. All plant-based! This is what makes these Japanese confections so different from Western desserts (and therefore suitable for vegans).
5. Kohi Zeri
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With cubes of coffee jelly in an iced drink made with coconut condensed milk, this is definitely an interesting take on your regular coffee! This easy vegan Japanese dessert can be made at home with just 6 simple ingredients.
6. Melon Pan
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Melon Pan is a Japanese classic. Imagine a fluffy, sweet bread covered in a cookie! It is not melon flavoured as the name suggests, but rather the cookie on top is cut in the shape of a melon!
Savoury:
7. Miso Soup
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Warm, comforting, and full of umami, this vegan Japanese soup can be prepared with just 7 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one pot! While traditional miso soup is made with a fish-based stock, it is easily made vegan using kombu, a type of seaweed.
8. Edamame With Soy And Sesame Sauce
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A nutty and savoury snack of edamame pods lightly fried in toasted sesame oil and tossed in soy sauce. So simple yet delicious!
9. Nasu Dengaku (Miso Glazed Eggplant)
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If you love dishes that are both sweet and spicy, this one’s for you! These tender broiled eggplant slices brushed with a sweet miso glaze are simply irresistible and can be made in just 15 minutes.
10. Vegan Sesame Tantanmen (Homemade Ramen)
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Such an easy comfort meal! Tantanmen is a Japanese take on Sichuan Dan Dan noodles. It’s typically served spicy with traditional Asian vegetables, minced pork and a green onion garnish, but the vegan version is better! Picture perfect ramen noodles swimming in a creamy sesame broth, served with spicy tofu crumbles and fresh vegetables.
11. Teriyaki Tofu Donburi
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Donburi rice bowls are the quintessential Japanese comfort meal. “Donburi” refers to any bowl of rice topped with something – very easy to make vegan!
So many of these vegan Japanese recipes are by Okonomi Kitchen so they deserve a special mention!
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