Soybeans fermented with koji culture and salt, often alongside rice or barley, into a salty savoury paste that ranges from pale and mild to dark and pungent. Barley miso and many mixed misos contain gluten; only rice miso is reliably gluten-free, and even then the label needs checking.
What it does in a recipe: Fermented salt and glutamate umami with enough body to thicken a dressing or enrich a broth. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Miso, Shiro miso, Aka miso
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Condiments & saucescategory
Quick answer
Soy sauce
1 tbsp white miso = 1 tbsp soy sauce, reducing other salt in the recipe
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace miso paste
Soy sauce
Reliable
1 tbsp white miso = 1 tbsp soy sauce, reducing other salt in the recipe
Both come from the same soybean fermentation, so the glutamate profile is closely related; soy sauce simply arrives as liquid rather than paste.
Trade-offThinner and darker, so it will not thicken a dressing or a glaze. It is also saltier per spoon, so taste as you go.
Allergen checkSoy sauce is brewed with wheat and contains gluten; tamari is the gluten-free equivalent. Both remain soy products and unsuitable for a soy allergy.
Tahini + soy sauce
Reliable
1 tbsp miso = 2 tsp tahini + 1 tsp soy sauce
Tahini supplies the thick, emulsifying paste body that miso gives a dressing, and the soy sauce restores the fermented salt.
Trade-offNuttier and less funky, and paler in a marinade. It works well in a salad dressing and less well in a soup, where miso's aroma is the point.
Allergen checkTahini is sesame, a top allergen in the UK, EU, US and elsewhere. Do not use this swap where sesame must be avoided, and note the soy sauce adds soy and usually wheat.
Chickpea miso
Reliable
1 tbsp miso = 1 tbsp chickpea miso
Fermented the same way with koji, just on chickpeas instead of soybeans, so the salt level and savoury character land in a very similar place.
Trade-offSweeter and lighter, closer to white miso than to a dark aged one. Fine in dressings and soups, less convincing in a long-braised dish.
Allergen checkThis is the swap for a soy allergy and it is normally gluten-free, but some producers ferment on shared equipment with barley miso. Confirm with the manufacturer if the reaction is serious.
Bouillon is engineered around exactly the same glutamates, and the soy sauce adds the fermented note that plain stock powder lacks.
Trade-offSalty and savoury but flat, without miso's aromatic complexity. Acceptable stirred into a soup, poor in a dressing.
CookingVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
Allergen checkBouillon frequently contains wheat, celery and soy, and its gluten-free status varies by brand. Check the tub, especially when cooking for a coeliac.
Worth knowing
Boiling kills miso's aroma and its live cultures. Whisk it into a soup off the heat, or right at the end, rather than letting it simmer.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.