Is Dashi Vegetarian? Summer Limited Chilled Vegan Zaru Soba with Homemade Vegan Dashi 【Kyoto Vegan Cooking Class】

Summer Limited! Chilled Vegan Zaru Soba

Summer Limited! Chilled Vegan Zaru Soba with Homemade Vegan Dashi

Hello everyone searching for "is dashi vegetarian"!

We are Kyoto Green Cuisine, a vegan cooking school in Kyoto.

Kyoto summers are hot and humid. On days like these, nothing beats a bowl of ice-cold zaru soba.

Traditional mentsuyu contains bonito flakes, so it's not vegan. However, using our kombu and shiitake vegan dashi, you can make a wonderfully aromatic, clean, and deeply flavorful vegan mentsuyu.

In our summer-only Vegan Zaru Soba Class, we teach you everything from making the dashi-based mentsuyu to the perfect toppings and beautiful presentation.

Today we're sharing the key points. Exact measurements and professional techniques are taught hands-on in class

kombu and shiitake dashi

Basic Vegan Dashi

(Quick Review)

We use the same kombu and shiitake dashi as in our ramen class, plus vegetable dashi to enhance the aroma of the mentsuyu.

(Detailed kombu & shiitake dashi recipe → Vegan Ramen Article: Basic Vegan Dashi)

Curious about vegan dashi and why we don't use bonito?

→ Read our complete guide:

"Is Dashi Vegetarian?"

Vegan Mentsuyu

– Key Points

Golden Ratio Mentsuyu (serves 4)

Vegan dashi: 240ml
Kaeshi (concentrated soy sauce tare): 80ml

Kaeshi is made from soy sauce, mirin, and sugar — the same one we use in our vegan ramen.

We recommend a 3:1 ratio (dashi to kaeshi).

Adjustments

Prefer stronger flavor? Add more kaeshi.
Want it lighter and more refreshing? Add more dashi.

Zaru Soba Cooking Tips

1. Boiling the Soba

Cook the soba 30–60 seconds less than the package instructions, then immediately plunge into ice water.

In class we focus on achieving the perfect balance of koshi (bite) and smooth throat feel.

2. Plating

Arrange beautifully on a zaru (bamboo mat), serve the mentsuyu on the side.

The joy of zaru soba is customizing it with your own choice of toppings.

3. Recommended Toppings & Garnishes

Plenty of Kyoto-grown green onions
Wasabi
Shredded nori

(We don't use these in class, but they are also popular:)

Fried eggplant or tenkasu
Cherry tomatoes and shiso leaves for beautiful color

Noodles we use in class

We serve fresh soba from Okuizumo (Ni-hachi soba — 80% buckwheat, 20% wheat). Made with domestic buckwheat and wheat flour, these noodles have a deep color, wide strands, and a wonderful aroma and texture.