Make Kombu Shiitake Dashi (Stock)

By
Jen Hoy
Jen Hoy
Jenny Hoy is an author, chef, and holistic nutritionist, with more than two decades of experience in the fields of food and healing.
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Updated on 02/7/23
Make Kombu Shiitake Dashi (Stock)

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 2 quarts

Dashi is a classic macrobiotic broth in Japanese cuisine that is used for soups, sauces, noodles, vegetables, and more. This shiitake dashi is an adaptation of the Angelica’s Kitchen recipe. It’s an excellent soup stock and can be used as a base for a noodle dish or for steaming and poaching fish. Dashi is a delight to the taste buds as this family of stocks brings on the fifth taste, umami, to the table. This stock is vegetarian and vegan, too.

Taking less than an hour to make, this kombu shiitake dashi recipe consists of water, kombu seaweed, dried shiitake mushrooms, mirin, shoyu, and ginger. Use dried shiitake mushrooms to make this dashi rather than fresh ones, to ensure you get that deep, savory, umami flavor. Enjoy it in such dishes as miso soup, ramen, or rice dishes. 

Ingredients

  • 1 strip kombu seaweed (kelp)

  • 2 quarts cold water

  • 1 1/2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms

  • 1/2 cup mirin

  • 1/4 cup shoyu, or tamari

  • 1/4 cup ginger, finely grated

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Make Kombu Shiitake Dashi (Stock) ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  2. Wipe kombu with a clean, damp cloth.

    Wipe kombu with a clean, damp cloth

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  3. Heat water and kombu in a medium saucepan and bring to a high simmer. Do not boil.

    water and kombu in a medium saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  4. Remove kombu from liquid and discard the kombu.

    Remove kombu from liquid and discard the kombu

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  5. Add mushrooms, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

    add mushrooms to the dashi in the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  6. Stir in mirin, shoyu or tamari, and ginger.

    mirin, tamari, and ginger added to the dashi in the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  7. Strain broth, reserving mushrooms for another use (for example, sliced in a bowl of noodles or added to a vegetable soup.)

    Make Kombu Shiitake Dashi (Stock)

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Tips

You can find kombu, mirin, and other ingredients for Asian cuisine in the international aisle in most grocery stores, in Asian specialty grocery stores, or online.


Use dried shiitake mushrooms to get the highest level of umami taste.

How to Store and Freeze

This mushroom dashi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.


It can also be frozen, so you can always have some on hand. Simply freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to a month. You can put the stock in an ice cube tray until frozen and then transfer it to a container or bag, too.

What is umami?

Umami is the fifth part of the taste groups, which also include sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Meaning "pleasant savory taste" in Japanese, umami is found in foods that have glutamate in them.

What is the difference between shoyu and tamari?

Shoyu is quite simply Japanese-style soy sauce, while tamari is a thicker Japanese sauce that is made from fermented soybeans. 

Tips


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
170 Calories
0g Fat
40g Carbs
5g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 170
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 520mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 687mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. MSG Monosodium Glutamate. Fooddata central, United States Department of Agriculture