Vegan Creamy Winter Stew Recipe with Japanese Twists

Creamy Comfort, Japanese Style

This hearty winter stew proves you can have rich, creamy goodness without butter or flour. The secret? Two Japanese superfooods that do all the heavy lifting – kuzu (aka kudzu)

Kuzu – Nature’s Silky Healer

Made from the root of a wild Japanese vine, kuzu has been treasured for centuries in traditional Japanese cooking and herbal medicine. It’s not just a smooth, glossy thickener — it’s believed to help soothe digestion, calm the stomach, ease cold symptoms, and gently strengthen the body during recovery. Kuzu is also rich in plant compounds called isoflavones, which can help balance female hormones — making it especially supportive for women in midlife and during menopause. Naturally gluten-free, it’s a nourishing alternative to flour-based thickeners. 

Miso – Umami with Wellness Power

Fermented soybeans transform into miso, Japan’s flavour powerhouse and gut-friendly superfood. Rich in probiotics, minerals, Vitamins and antioxidants, it supports digestion, boosts immunity, and helps fight inflammation. Young white miso adds a mellow, slightly sweet, almost cheesy flavour that turns a pot of vegetables into comfort food with benefits. 

                                  Miso – Natural umami enhancer with full of health benefits.                                                              Kuzu – my go-to natural “flu medicine,” and “ female hormone balancer”

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

• Rich, creamy texture without butter, cream, or flour 
• Packed with immune-boosting, gut-friendly probiotics 
• Supports digestion and hormone balance 
• Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free 
• Customisable with your favourite winter vegetables 

Put them together, and you have a colourful, nutrient-packed stew that will warm you to the core, nourish your gut, and help keep winter bugs at bay. 

Vegan Creamy Winter Stew with Kuzu & Miso

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 300 grams potato, peeled and cut into bite-size 
• 1/2 bunch silverbeet, washed 
• 150 grams of carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt 
• 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder 
• 3 cups water 
• 2 tablespoons of kuzu 
• 1 cup (250 millilitres) of soy milk 
• 2 tablespoons of young white miso 

Recipe 

1. Use a sharp knife to work from the stem end of the silverbeet towards the leaf end, stripping the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and trim the stems before slicing diagonally. 
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add silverbeet stems, carrot, potato and salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, add stock powder and then sauté for a few more minutes. Pour in 3 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potato is cooked. 
3. Dissolve kuzu and miso in soymilk. It is easier to put kuzu and miso in a bowl and add soymilk in small amounts to dissolve before adding the rest of the soy milk rather than starting with soy milk first. 
4. Pour the soy milk mixture into the saucepan and stir until heated through and thick. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Ladle the stew into serving bowls. 

 

I hope you’ll give this creamy winter stew a try and experience the comfort it brings — not just to your taste buds, but to your whole body. Small seasonal choices like this can make a big difference to your health and energy through the colder months.

Stay warm, take care of your gut, and remember — true wellness starts in the kitchen.

Warm regards,

Yoshiko

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If you’re interested in Japanese superfoods and want to learn more about Kuzu and Miso, you may want to get my Japanese Superfoods cookbook‘. Latest edition is available NOW!

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