Name: Niku Miso Onion Bombs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients: 1 large Vidalia or New onion (350g); 2 tsp miso paste (10g); 2 1/2 tbsp water (38g); 2 tsp sake (10ml); 1 tsp sugar (4g); 1/2 tsp soy sauce (2.5g); 1/2 tsp corn starch (1g); 1/2 tsp doubanjiang, optional; 2.8 oz of vegan grounds of choice (75g); 1/2 tsp garlic, minced (2g); 1 tsp sesame oil (5g); 1/2 tsp ginger, minced (2g); pinch of pepper; scallions, for topping; sesame seeds, for topping

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These Stuffed Onion Bombs are simple, juicy and PACKED with flavour thanks to the Niku Miso. Quick, easy and a perfect side to your grain of choice!

Say hello to this juicy n’ delicious onion ‘bomb’—stuffed with vegan miso meat sauce! This quick and easy side dish has become a regular side dish for us because of how quick and easy it is to make-- plus if you make the meat miso ahead of time all you need is a microwave! Perfect for days when you don't want to turn on the stove and meat up the kitchen.

What is niku miso?

Miku miso literally translates to 'meat miso'. Every household makes it slightly different but my mom always made it a little more sauce-y like a meat sauce! It's one of those side dishes/condiments that really goes well with anything and everything that needs a little boost of flavour. My mom would prep a large batch of this at the beginning of the week and we'd always have some on the dinner table along with pickled vegetables to pair with our rice.

I've been keen on making a vegan version of this delicious side dish and was easily able to do so just by swapping it for vegan grounds. If you don't have access to vegan ground meat, I've tried making this with crumbled tofu as well and works really well!

How to Make Onion Bombs

The Ingredients

To make the base of the onion bomb, you only need an onion. I recommend New Onions, Vidalia or Walla Walla.

For the niku miso, choose your choice of vegan grounds. To season, you'll need miso paste, sake (can be omitted), sugar, soy sauce, corn starch, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. If you like things spicy, add a touch of doubanjiang!

The Directions

Prepare the onion: Cut the top of the onion and remove the outer layer. Cut the onion like an X to make four segments.
Cook the onion: Place in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes (depending on the size of your onion). My onions on average are about 380g total and takes about 5 minutes on high.
Make the miso meat sauce: dissolve the miso paste with 2 ½ tablespoon of water. Then whisk in the sake, soy sauce, sake, sugar and potato starch.
Cook the meat miso: Cook the vegan mince with garlic over medium heat. Add the ginger and sesame oil to the mince and fry for another minute. Give the miso sauce a quick mix and then pour it over the mince. Cook for about another minute until thickened to desired consistency.
Stuff the onion: Stuff the meat miso between the onion segments, top with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tips & How to Store

Meat miso texture: Adjust the thickness of the miso meat sauce to your liking by how long you cook it. The longer on the heat, the more dry it will become making it more like crumbles.
Make extra: Make extra miso meat sauce to make this recipe ahead of time and even quicker. Plus, you can use it in other dishes as well like Niku Miso rice bowls or noodles.
Storing: Allow it to cool completely and then place in a air tight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

Variations

There are so many other things you can stuff these onions with too! Experiment with some of your other favourite stuffing and ingredients 🙂 Here are some more suggestions:

vegan canned 'tuna' and mayo
taco mince
pulled bbq jackfruit
vegan mapo tofu
tofu mince
bbq tempeh mince

More Delicious Vegetable Recipes to Try

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Niku Miso Onion Bombs

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 12 reviews

These Stuffed Onion Bombs are simple, juicy and PACKED with flavour thanks to the Niku Miso. Quick, easy and a perfect side to your grain of choice!

Author: Lisa Kitahara
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Category: side dish
Method: microwave
Cuisine: vegan, japanese

Ingredients

Units Scale

Onion 'Bomb'

1 large Vidalia or New onion (350g)

Niku Miso

2 tsp miso paste (10g)
2 ½ tbsp water (38g)
2 tsp sake (10ml)
1 tsp sugar (4g)
½ tsp soy sauce (2.5g)
½ tsp corn starch (1g)
½ tsp doubanjiang, optional
2.8 oz of vegan grounds of choice (75g)
½ tsp garlic, minced (2g)
1 tsp sesame oil (5g)
½ tsp ginger, minced (2g)
pinch of pepper

Topping/garnish

scallions, for topping
sesame seeds, for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cut the top of the onion and remove the outer skin. Cut the onion to make four segments. Place in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes (depending on the size of your onion). My onions on average are about 380g total and takes about 5 minutes on high.
In the meantime, make the 'meat' miso. Over medium heat, add the vegan mince and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
In the meantime, dissolve the miso paste with 2 ½ tablespoon of water. Then whisk in the sake, soy sauce, sake, sugar and potato starch.
Add the ginger and sesame oil to the mince and fry for another minute.
Give the miso sauce a quick mix and then pour it over the mince. Cook for about another minute until thickened to desired consistency.
Stuff the meat miso between the onion segments. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, and enjoy!

Notes

Helpful Equipment: microwave safe bowls with lid, non-stick fry pan, miso muddler
Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 428
Sugar: 21.6g
Sodium: 743mg
Fat: 16.9g
Saturated Fat: 2.6g
Unsaturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 7.1g
Protein: 18.6g
Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: stuffed onions, meat miso, niku miso, miso meat sauce

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Niku Miso Stuffed Onion Bombs

What is niku miso?