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–+ servings

Chicken Miso Soup (Torijiru)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Before you start, cut the vegetables and aromatics according to the notes on the ingredient list.
    vegetables used to make chicken miso soup chopped up on a wooden chopping board
  • Peel the skin off 300 g boneless chicken thigh and cut the meat into bitesize pieces.
    chicken skin and bitesize pieces of chicken thigh meat on a wooden chopping board
  • Add 1 tbsp cooking oil to a large cold pot and place the chicken skin flat down, with all surface area in contact with the pan. Heat on low/medium-low slowly render the fat while the skin turns crispy. Once golden underneath, flip and repeat on the other side.
    rendering chicken skin in a pan
  • Transfer the crispy skin to a kitchen paper-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
    crispy chicken skin on kitchen paper
  • In the same pot, add the chicken meat and increase the heat to medium. Sear all over until you can't see any more pink.
    frying chicken thigh meat in a pan
  • Add ½ onion, 1 clove garlic, ½ tbsp ginger root and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Fry until the onion is slightly softened.
    chicken, onion and aromatics in a pan
  • Add 1 burdock root (gobo), 1 carrot and ⅓ daikon radish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
    root vegetables added to pot with chicken, onion and aromatics
  • Now add 1 bunch enoki mushrooms, 1 Japanese leek (naganegi), 1 liter dashi stock and 1 tbsp sake.
    dashi added to pot to make chicken miso soup
  • Mix and bring to almost boiling, then lower the heat and cover with a lid. Simmer until the root vegetables are softened to your liking.
    chicken miso soup simmering in a pot with lid
  • While you wait, cut the chicken skin into thin strips.
    crispy chicken skin cut into thin slices
  • Turn off the heat and add 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). Place 4 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) on a mesh spoon or ladle and dip it in the broth. Whisk in the spoon until loose enough to incorporate into the rest of the soup.
    whisking miso paste into chicken miso soup
  • Pour into serving bowls and top with finely chopped green onions and the crispy chicken skin from earlier. Enjoy!
    chicken miso in a wooden bowl topped with crispy chicken skin

Notes

A slightly cloudy, "creamy" broth is the goal here. It's a sign the rendered chicken fat has lightly emulsified into the soup.
Root vegetables (daikon, carrot, burdock) need the longest cooking time to soften and release their natural sweetness.
Skim off any foam (aku) that rises during the early simmer for a cleaner, sweeter-tasting finish.
If you don't have a mesh strainer, whisk the miso with 2-3 tablespoons of warm broth in a small bowl until completely smooth, then pour it into the pot. This prevents clumps just as effectively.
Store any leftover crispy chicken skin separately in the fridge (not in the soup) to keep it from turning soggy.
Serving ideas: Steamed Japanese Rice (Gohan), Cucumber Sunomono, Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles), Dashimaki Tamago