28 umami recipes

Okra shoyu-zuke: quick Japanese soy-pickled okra and onion with rice vinegar and soy sauce. A crisp, umami-packed side dish ready in minutes.

Vegan Manhattan chowder with crushed tomatoes, potatoes, and wakame seaweed for a briny seafood flavor without the clams. Hearty, plant-based, and full of umami.

Thick seitan steaks baked until firm, then simmered in a savory tamari broth with kombu and fresh ginger for deep umami flavor. Brushed with sauce and broiled until lightly charred, these vegan steaks have real chew and satisfying meatiness.

Stuffed Chinese black mushrooms filled with seasoned crushed tofu, ginger, garlic, sesame, and scallion, then grilled or broiled. A vegan-friendly appetizer with earthy, umami-rich mushroom caps.

Italian-style tomato sauce simmered with kelp seaweed (alaria or laminaria), garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire. A mineral-rich, umami-packed sauce for spaghetti, meatballs, or browned meat.

Vegan French onion soup built on deeply caramelized onions, garlic, and tamari for rich umami depth. No beef broth needed, just patience and good browning for a soul-warming bowl.

A delicate Asian-style steamed seafood custard (chawanmushi) with whole clams, fresh ginger, scallions, and umami-rich fish sauce. Light, savory, silky, and ready in under an hour.

Asian-style mushroom marinade combines hoisin, chili sauce, soy, ginger, and garlic to soak portobello caps for grilling or roasting. A vegan umami bomb ready in 5 minutes.

Golden vegetable noodle soup: a turmeric-tinted vegan broth with split peas, noodles, carrots, and nutritional yeast for cheesy umami. Fat-free, plant-based comfort in one bowl.

Italian tomato and anchovy antipasto with ripe tomato wedges draped with anchovy fillets, dressed in anchovy oil, lemon juice, and fresh oregano. Simple, no-cook, and bursting with umami.

Soy marinated mushrooms, a make-ahead appetizer of fresh mushrooms steeped overnight in a hot brine of soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sherry, sugar, and minced onion. Tangy, savory, deeply umami.

Meatless bulgur tamales wrap a savory filling of cracked wheat, tomatoes, pepper, and brown rice miso inside masa dough and corn husks. A hearty vegetarian Tex-Mex classic with deep umami and no meat required.