OCHIKERON Recipe: Tonjiru (Miso Soup with Pork and Vegetables)

JUNE 2022(vol. 176)

Tonjiru (Miso Soup with Pork and Vegetables)

Tonjiru (sometimes called Butajiru) is a Japanese pork and vegetable miso soup.  Remarkably delicious family meal 😋

Some people cut vegetables into quarter round.  Some people cut into chunks.  It is up to you. Vegetables become very tasty by slowly cooking in pork Miso soup.  It takes a bit time to cook but worth the time 😉

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1.5hr

Number of servings: 4


Ingredients

100g (3.5oz.) thinly sliced pork rib
1 tbsp. ginger juice
150g (5.2oz.) Daikon radish
150g (5.2oz.) carrot
1/2 Gobo (burdock root)
200g (7oz.) Konjak (yam cake)
200g (7oz.) potatoes
4 Shiitake mushrooms
1 long onion
4 tbsp. Awase Miso
1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Cut pork into an inch long pieces.

2. Slice Gobo and soak in water for 5 minutes.  Tear Konjak into small chunks.  Cut Daikon, carrot, potatoes, long onion, and Shiitake mushrooms into small chunks.  *Cut all the vegetables about the same size.

3. In a large pot, put pork, ginger juice, and 800ml water.  Bring to a boil, turn down to low, and remove the foam.

4. Add Daikon, carrot, burdock root, and Konjak, then cook on medium for 15 minutes, removing the foam.

5. Dilute the miso with the cooking liquid, add half of it, add potatoes, then cook for 20 min.

6. Add Shiitake mushrooms and long onion, and simmer for 15 min.  Add the rest of the Miso and sugar to taste.  Cook (but do not boil) until hot to finish.