Gluten Free Dashi
This foundational Japanese stock is built from just three ingredients — cold water, kombu, and katsuobushi — yet it delivers a depth of umami flavor that feels almost impossibly complex for something so minimal. The gentle, patient technique here is everything: a slow warm-up for the kombu, a careful pull before a rolling boil, and a quiet steep for the bonito flakes that coaxes out every bit of savory goodness without any bitterness. Because the recipe relies entirely on seaweed and dried fish, it is naturally free of gluten without any substitutions or workarounds needed. That makes it a genuinely reliable base for miso soup, noodle broths, simmered vegetables, or any dish where a store-bought broth might carry hidden additives or soy sauce blends that sneak gluten in. The result is a crystal-clear, golden stock with a clean oceanic aroma and that signature savory finish that makes Japanese cooking so craveable. Make a batch on the weekend and keep it in the fridge or freezer so you always have something extraordinary just a ladle away.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 ½ cups cold water
- 1 oz (about 15g) kombu
- 1 oz (about 30g) katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cold water and kombu in a medium saucepan. Let the kombu soak at room temperature for 30 minutes, until the water turns a pale straw-yellow and the kombu has softened and expanded slightly.
- 2
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and warm slowly, uncovered, until the water reaches a bare simmer — small bubbles will begin to rise from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Do not let it reach a full boil; remove the kombu just before the first rolling bubbles appear, as boiling makes the stock bitter and slimy.
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