This Japanese-style soy milk soup is a comforting, easy soup that is ready in 20 minutes. It is loaded with flavors from bacon, cabbage, carrots and onion. Using soy milk as its base, it is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

Whether it's cold or not, I often get cravings for hearty soups. Something that is comforting, something that I can feel ‘home (Japan!)’ but made with easy ingredients… Then I remembered my mother used to make this creamy soup with lots of Chinese cabbage in delicious dashi base. I tweaked the recipe a little so it is easy to make on a whim without any special ingredients.
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What does soy milk soup taste like?
The soup base is made with soy milk which makes it creamy and rich, yet lightweight. It is packed full of umami flavor thanks to the sautéed bacon. The vegetables are simmered to perfection, soaking up the great flavors in the broth!
It’s almost like clam chowder but lighter with so much flavor. Does that give you a better idea of what it's like?
Ingredients for this recipe
- Onion
- Bacon
- Vegetable broth - chicken broth works as well
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Soy milk - unsweetened, unflavored type
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped scallions for topping
How to make soy milk soup
- In a large saucepan, cook the bacon and onion together until the onion becomes translucent. It should take 3 minutes or so.
- Add in the vegetable broth, cabbage and carrot. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium low heat for about 15 minutes or until the carrot becomes tender.
- Add in the soy milk. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. You may also add a little more milk if the soup ends up too salty.
*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Is this soup family friendly?
This Japanese-style soy milk soup is loved by both adults and kids in our house. Simmering down the vegetables allows you to eat a larger volume easily, and it is a great way to have picky eaters to have more vegetables. For my toddlers, I dilute the soup a little by adding some more milk so it becomes less salty. They like to have it with rice or bread soaked in the soup.
FAQs
Any leftover soy milk soup can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days, covered tightly. Heat up over the stove top, or microwave for a few minutes to reheat.
You may skip the bacon to make this soup vegan. However, you may need to substitute the saltiness in the bacon with extra salt. Adding some nutritional yeast helps to add a boost of umami as well!
More soup recipes
- Coconut Chickpea Sweet Potato Soup
- Asian Chicken Meatball Soup
- Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Corn
- Turmeric Ginger Carrot Soup
Recipe
Japanese-style Soy Milk Soup with Bacon and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 5 ounces bacon chopped
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 5 ounces green cabbage chopped, approx ¼ of small cabbage
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the bacon and onion together for about 3 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add in vegetable broth, cabbage, and carrot. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the carrot pieces becomes tender.
- Add in soy milk. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. Add more milk if you would like to make less salty.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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