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Miso is concentrated umami with salt and a fermented tang. Nothing replaces it exactly, but several things cover most of what it contributes depending on whether it is the star of the dish or a background savoury note.
Best for: Marinades, dressings, background depth
Thinner and saltier. Reduce other salt.
Best for: Dressings and sauces where body matters
Recovers the paste texture as well as the savouriness.
Best for: Savoury depth when not vegetarian
Very pungent. Start small.
Best for: Soups and broths
Mildest option, no fermented tang.
Miso is salty, so whatever you use, adjust the recipe's salt rather than adding on top. Never boil miso hard: it dulls the flavour and kills the live cultures, so stir it in off the heat at the end. And most miso contains barley or is processed with wheat, so check the label if you need it gluten-free.
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For dressings and marinades, soy sauce at half the volume, or tahini mixed with a little soy sauce if you need the body as well as the savouriness. For soups, a mushroom or vegetable stock concentrate works.
Not always. Many varieties are made with barley or processed alongside wheat. Look for a certified gluten-free miso, or use tamari as a substitute.
Better not to. Boiling dulls its flavour and destroys the live cultures. Stir it into soup off the heat, right at the end.
Soy sauce or tamari (½ the volume) if you want the closest result, or Tahini + soy sauce (1 tbsp tahini + 1 tsp soy per 1 tbsp miso) for dressings and sauces where body matters. Which one is right depends on what the miso paste was doing in the dish.
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