Replacement for dashi in miso soup?

I was hoping to make a vegetarian miso soup that tastes flavorful. I'm not sure how much the dashi contributes to that taste I loved, but people say it does add richness to it.



So how can I make a savory but simple miso soup? I have my red paste, firm tofu, and sheets of sushi nori seaweed I was just going to shred. I'm not really interested in adding anything else (like veggie wise), the Japanese restaurant by me is tasty with just the miso/tofu/seaweed.



Any help? Would some soy sauce help?Replacement for dashi in miso soup?
I am a former chef and a canned veggie broth with some shredded ginger, soya sauce, mirin (japanese cooking wine), a dash of sugar and sesame oil is fine, just remember not to boil the miso paste or it will curdle, warm the tofu and nori seaweed, even some grated carrot and as said green onions are nice, mix the miso with a bit of the warmed broth take the pot off the stove and stir it in and serve as soon as possible.



I am not only a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) I was a chef and worked in Japan and we had to make a similar broth for Shinto and Buddhist customers (they eat no animal product either)
Here is a recipe for vegan dashi:

Vegan Dashi (Soup Stock)



Ingredients (use vegan versions):



4 cups cold water

5 inch piece kombu (kelp, find in Asian market)

3 whole shiitake mushroom

pinch dried wakame (kelp, similar to kombu)

2 tablespoon sake

2 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 tablespoon shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)



Directions:



Dust off kombu and cut with scissors 3/4 of the way though.



In a pan, add water, kombu and shiitake and soak for about 1 hour.



Then, bring the pot nearly to the boil, and remove kombu, add wakame and bring to boil, simmer for 5 min.



Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 mins, drain out shiitake and wakame.



I found this makes a lot so I freeze into ice cubes to use for later (when I want to make miso soup or udon oshiru (udon noodle soup).



I find many dried "instant" dashi always contain fish or seafood. This is not "instant" but tastes just as good.



Also some stores sell Vegetable Dashi.



Recipes for Miso Soup:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=573.0Replacement for dashi in miso soup?
I have a simple miso soup recipe with picture, have a look http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2007/0鈥?/a>



What i did to the dashi stock to make it vegetarian is to omit bonito. Some people would use mushroom and kelp to make a vegetarian dashi stock.
Add a whole lotta green onions.



Miso offers more than enough flavor without fish juice.
you said it, Soy Sauce would add some more flavour