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Home ► Recipes ► Japanese (Traditional)

Vegan Nikujaga

Updated: 06.08.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 6 Comments

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Although Nikujaga (肉じゃが) means "meat and potatoes," in this meatless recipe, we're going plant-based by making this hearty stew with Maitake and Eryngi mushrooms.
Recipe Video
With big hearty chunks of potatoes and carrots cooked together with a meaty medley of mushrooms, you won't miss the meat in this vegan Nikujaga.

"Niku"jaga Without Meat?

Nikujaga is a stew that's typically made with thin cuts of beef simmered together with onions, potatoes, and carrots in a savory-sweet dashi broth. In this Vegan Nikujaga, we're replacing the "niku", or meat, with a delicious duo of mushrooms that add a meaty taste and texture to this Japanese classic.

Jump to:
  • "Niku"jaga Without Meat?
  • The History of Nikujaga
  • How do I Make Nikujaga Vegan?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • FAQ
  • Comments

The History of Nikujaga

Like it's sibling Japanese Curry Rice, Nikujaga was created to feed a large number of hungry troops. It's precisely the kind of dish you'd imagine getting if you asked a Navy cook to make a Japanese version of Western beef stew, and that's supposedly how it was created. The troops brought a taste for the dish home with them, and Nikujaga has since become one of the most popular home-cooked meals in Japan.

How do I Make Nikujaga Vegan?

Two main substitutions need to happen to make Nikujaga vegan. The most obvious one is the meat. If you break down the role of the meat in this dish, it does three things. 1) It adds umami and flavor to the broth and other ingredients 2) It contributes a meaty texture and protein to the dish 3) It adds fat to the dish, which is what lends richness and body to the stew. Nailing all three of these with one plant-based ingredient would be pretty tough, but by using a combination of two mushrooms along with a little extra oil, I was able to get close. 

Sautéed mushrooms and onions for Nikujaga.

Meaty Mushrooms

Maitake mushrooms, which are sometimes called "Hen of the Woods," is a feathery mushroom with a bold meaty flavor that adds boatloads of umami to any dish it's added to. It's also one of the best plant-based sources of Vitamin D.
Eryngi mushrooms, which are also known as "King Trumpet," although they don't have much going on in the flavor department, they have a thick fibrous stem that allows them to mimic all sorts of meat and seafood depending on how they're sliced. For Nikujaga, I like to cut them into very thin slices lengthwise, which gives them a substantial meaty texture. 

Healthy Fats

Finally, I've doubled the amount of oil I'd typically use to make this dish. This may sound like an unhealthy change, but there are a few reasons for this. The first is that it gets the taste of the dish of this vegan nikujaga closer to the original by adding a little richness to the broth. Unlike Western stews, which are often made with a roux, Nikujaga is made with clear dashi stock, so without some fat, it can seem thin and watery. The mushrooms also tend to absorb oil like a sponge at first, so without enough oil in the pan, they won't brown evenly. If that's not enough to convince you, consider this: Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so to get the best absorption of this essential vitamin, it's important to pair it with some fat. 

Plant-Based Protein

The only thing lacking in this vegan nikujaga is a significant source of protein (both mushrooms and potatoes contain some protein), so if you want more protein, you can add tofu to this dish as well. 

Vegan Dashi

There's one other change we need to make to make this dish plant-based, which is the dashi. Dashi stock is typically made with konbu (kelp) along with dried, smoked, and fermented skipjack tuna. While it doesn't have quite as much flavor, it's perfectly okay to make dashi with just konbu, which is known as konbu dashi. Kelp is loaded with naturally occurring glutamic acids, which are amino acids that trigger the umami taste receptors on your tongue. 

Konbu is produced all over Japan, but there's a region in northeastern Hokkaido called Rausu that produces a very meaty tasting konbu that's excellent for making plant-based dashi.

📖 Recipe

Nikujaga is a classic Japanese stew that's traditionally made with meat and potatoes. For this plant-based version, two types of meaty mushrooms stand-in for the beef.

Vegan Nikujaga

By: Marc Matsumoto
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Yield 4 servings
YouTube video

Units

Ingredients 

  • 7 grams konbu
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sake
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 400 grams potatoes (6 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
  • 200 grams carrots (1 large peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 220 grams onion (1 small onion, peeled and sliced)
  • 100 grams Maitake mushrooms (hand-shredded)
  • 200 grams Eryngi mushrooms (large mushrooms thinly sliced)
  • 226 grams shirataki noodles (drained and roughly chopped)
  • 80 grams snap peas (trimmed)

Instructions

  • To make the dashi stock, add the 7 grams konbu, 1 cup water, ½ cup sake, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt to a bowl and let the konbu rehydrate while you prepare the other ingredients.
    Making plant-based dashi using konbu (kelp).
  • Put the 400 grams potatoes and 200 grams carrots in a microwave-safe bowl along with a tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and then microwave at 800 watts for 4 minutes.
    Potatoes and carrots microwaved in a glass bowl.
  • Heat a pot over high heat until hot and then add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 220 grams onion, 100 grams Maitake mushrooms, and 200 grams Eryngi mushrooms mushrooms and stir-fry until the mushrooms just start to brown.
    Sautéed mushrooms and onions for Nikujaga.
  • Add the dashi stock, along with the konbu and then add the microwaved potatoes and carrots, as well as the 226 grams shirataki noodles and give the mixture a stir to combine.
    Plant-based Nikujaga with mushrooms onions, potatoes, carrots, and Shirataki.
  • Cover with a drop lid and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender (about 10 minutes). Gently stir the mixture together about halfway through cooking to ensure they're getting some time in the dashi.
    Green silicone drop lid used on top of a pot of Nikujaga.
  • Ideally, you want to cover the pot with a lid and let the nikujaga cool to room temperature once, which encourages the dashi stock to permeate every ingredient. If you don't have time, proceed to the next step.
    Nikujaga covered with a glass lid.
  • Reheat the nikujaga before serving and steam the 80 grams snap peas on top of the other ingredients for about 1 minute covered with a lid.
    Snap peas steaming on top of Nikujaga, covered with a glass lid.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 247kcalCarbohydrates • 39gProtein • 8gFat • 4gSaturated Fat • 1gPolyunsaturated Fat • 2gMonounsaturated Fat • 1gTrans Fat • 0.02gSodium • 858mgPotassium • 1045mgFiber • 7gSugar • 10gVitamin A • 8612IUVitamin C • 39mgCalcium • 60mgIron • 3mg

FAQ

What does Nikujaga mean?

Niku (肉) means "meat" and Jaga (じゃが) is an abbreviation for Jagaimo (じゃが芋)or "potato," so Nikujaga (肉じゃが) literally means "meat & potatoes." Since this Vegan Nikujaga is made with mushrooms, it's technically Kinokojaga (茸じゃが), but it just doesn't have the same ring to it.

What else can I add to Nikujaga?

The rest of the traditional ingredients for Nikujaga are onions, potatoes, and carrots. I usually like to add some shirataki noodles to the mix, which adds some bulk to the stew without adding any calories. They're also very good at soaking up the wonderful flavors of the broth while adding a fun texture to the dish. To finish it off, I usually add something green, such as snow peas, snap peas, edamame, or green beans.

This Vegan Nikujaga leaves a lot of room for improvisation, and I sometimes like to add things like tomatoes, kabocha, sweet potatoes, burdock, or parsnips. It's a great recipe for cleaning out your veggie drawer.

Can I make Nikujaga ahead of time?

I'm glad you asked because Nikujaga is best made ahead of time! If you're planning on eating it that day, I recommend making it a few hours in advance and then letting it cool to room temperature once. The changes in temperature and time soaking in the broth helps all the ingredients release and reabsorb flavors from the other ingredients in the stew. The only thing you'll want to do is hold off on adding anything green until you reheat your Nikujaga; otherwise, it will get overcooked and lose its color. 

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  1. B says

    October 31, 2024 at 2:56 pm

    Hi Marc Thanks for this vegan recipe.
    Can we do Steps 1 to 6 one or two days before?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 01, 2024 at 10:39 am

      Yes, a day before would be ideal! It will give the flavors a chance to meld and mellow. But 2 days should also be okay.

      Reply
  2. Jaymee Mak says

    May 07, 2020 at 2:12 am

    Made this last night replacing sake with 2 tablespoons of Chinese rice wine, and replacing sugar with monkfruit sugar and it was a wonderful low-calorie dish for my vegetarian diet!

    I also added garlic stems, dried shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, Chinese cabbage and savoury pressed Chinese tofu 😀

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 08, 2020 at 9:41 am

      Hi Jaymee, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Great call on the garlic scapes and shiitakes! Thanks for stopping by to share!

      Reply
  3. Noemi says

    March 09, 2020 at 9:15 pm

    This was truly excellent. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 10, 2020 at 9:33 pm

      Hi Noemi, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply
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