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Featured Comment:
“I’ve made this a few times and it’s quite nice. I’ve lowered the salt a tiny bit to get it perfect for me. Tasty af land loce it for breakfast!”
– Robert
What is Kakitamajiru (Japanese Egg Drop Soup)?
Kakitamajiru is a Japanese-style egg drop soup with a light, clear dashi broth. It’s quite subtle, yet packed with umami, and the thin yet fluffy egg ribbons are perfectly distributed throughout the soup.
Kakitamajiru (かきたま汁) is made up of three words. “Kaki” (掻き) means “to stir”, tama comes from “tamago” (卵) which means egg and shiru or jiru (汁) is the Japanese word for soup. When we put them together we get “kakitamajiru” which means “stirred egg soup”.
Soup is an important element of a Japanese meal. It’s not considered a starter, but instead usually served alongside rice, a main dish of meat or fish, and then side dishes of vegetables, salads, and pickles. You can enjoy kakitamajiru with any meal that would usually be served with miso soup!
How I Developed This Recipe
My goal in creating this Kakitamajiru recipe was to honor its straightforward, uncomplicated nature. I aimed to craft a recipe that was easy to follow and quick to prepare without compromising this tender egg soup’s delicate, soothing qualities.
I’ve taken great care to ensure each step is clear and manageable, making it accessible for anyone who wishes to try their hand at this comforting dish.
I invite you to enjoy this soup as a side dish, perhaps alongside a meal of grilled fish or rice!
Kakitamajiru VS Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is not a dish that originated in Japan; it is a soup that has evolved uniquely in different countries in the world. Soups using similar techniques exist in Europe as well as Asia.
Despite this, Chinese egg drop soup is often compared to kakitamajiru. However, there are key differences between Chinese egg drop soup and Japanese kakitamajiru.
Japanese Kakitamajiru | Chinese Egg Drop Soup | |
---|---|---|
Base | Dashi broth | Chicken stock |
Thickening agent | Thickened with potato starch or kudzu starch | Thickened with corn starch |
Consistency | Relatively thin | Thick |
Seasoning | Seasoned with soy sauce | Seasoned with white pepper |
Japanese egg drop soup is made with dashi and dashi doesn’t contain salt. This is why it needs the saltiness from the soy sauce to bring out the flavors. On the other hand, Chinese egg drop soup generally uses salty chicken stock; therefore, adding pepper is more common in the Chinese variety.
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Dashi Broth: The heart of your soup. Select from options like simple awase dashi or vegan dashi. Instant dashi granules or packets are convenient alternatives for a quick preparation.
- Soy Sauce: Kikkoman soy sauce is a reliable, affordable choice. For a deeper dive into selecting the perfect soy sauce for Japanese dishes, refer to my comprehensive soy sauce guide.
- Green Onion: Thinly slice the white part, while the green part makes an excellent topping. For more about their role in Japanese cuisine, a negi article is suggested.
- Potato Starch: Ideal for thickening the soup and ensuring the egg ribbons are well-formed. Cornstarch or tapioca starch are also suitable substitutes.
- Eggs: Medium-sized chicken eggs are recommended for this recipe.
- Japanese Chili Powder (Shichimi Togarashi): An optional but delightful addition that introduces a hint of spice to the dish.
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Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsVisual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Kakitamajiru at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Pour dashi into a saucepan, and add soy sauce and salt. Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat. I recommend doing a taste test once it’s warmed to check that it’s seasoned to your liking.
One of the most important elements of kakitamajiru is a good dashi. While you can buy instant dashi, I personally don’t like using those for making soups. Dashi is very simple to make; it only requires a few ingredients and little effort. It also brings the flavor up a level; I highly recommend it!
Cut the white part of a green onion in thin diagonal slices. This style of cutting is called “naname-giri” and typically used for soups and hot pots. If you want to learn more about cutting green onion for Japanese cooking, check out my post “what is negi?”.
Once your dashi starts to boil, add the green onion and lower the heat to a simmer.
Mix potato starch and cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry.
The slurry is used to thicken the soup, which helps the egg ribbons distribute evenly rather than letting them sink to the bottom.
We make a slurry with cold water because adding the potato starch directly into the hot dashi will clump together and leave lumps of starch in your broth.
The starch tends to sink to the bottom of the slurry, so make sure to mix it right before adding it to the broth.
Drizzle the slurry into the broth and mix thoroughly. It should thicken slowly over the low heat.
Crack the eggs into a pourable container and whisk thoroughly until the whites and yolks are combined.
Increase the heat to medium and allow the broth to boil once more. Pour the egg slowly into the soup, one-third at a time. This will ensure thin ribbons rather than thick clumps. Each time you add the egg, the temperature of the soup will drop, so wait for it to start bubbling again before you add the next third.
Gently mix the soup and then remove it from the heat.
Divide into serving bowls and top with chopped green onion and Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi).
Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsHow to Store
First, the basic premise is that the product should not be stored at room temperature, regardless of whether it’s winter or not. Bacteria can start to grow within an hour in the worst case, making it crucial to refrigerate promptly.
When storing Kakamajiru, a sealable storage container is preferred. This method protects the soup from exposure to air, keeping it fresh. Remember, it’s always necessary to heat it again before eating. However, even if refrigerated, it should last only one to two days.
While freezing is an option, it’s generally not advised for egg soup, as it can affect the texture. If you choose to freeze it, it can be stored for up to three weeks. Be sure to put each portion in a sealable storage bag and remove as much air as possible before freezing.
Storage summary
Room temperature – Not recommended.
Refrigerated – 1 to 2 days.
Frozen – Up to 3 weeks but not recommended.
I hope you enjoy this Kakitamajiru recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Soup Recipes
Japanese Egg Drop Soup (Kakitamajiru)
Ingredients
- 500 ml dashi stock
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 30 g green onion white part, diagonally sliced
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp potato starch or corn starch
- 2 medium egg(s)
- 1 tbsp green onion green part, finely sliced to garnish
- Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) shichimi togarashi, optional
Instructions
- Pour 500 ml dashi stock into a saucepan and mix in 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp salt. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil over a medium heat. (Taste test the broth at this point and add more soy sauce if necessary.)
- Once it starts to boil, add 30 g green onion and reduce the heat to simmer.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp potato starch with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry.
- Drizzle the slurry into the broth and mix.
- Crack 2 medium egg(s) into a pourable container and whisk.
- Increase the heat back up to medium and bring the broth back to a boil. Once boiling, drizzle in the whisked egg one-third at a time. The egg will lower the temperature of the broth so wait for it to start bubbling again before adding the next third.
- Gently mix the soup a few times and then remove it from the heat.
- Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with 1 tbsp green onion and Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) (optional).
- Enjoy!
Robert Reyes Villagómez
I’ve made this a few times and it’s quite nice. I’ve lowered the salt a tiny bit to get it perfect for me. Tasty af land loce it for breakfast!
Yuto Omura
Hi Robert, thank you so much for the feedback and rating! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂