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–+ servings

Tonjiru (Butajiru) Japanese Pork Miso Soup

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 8

Ingredients  

  • 200 g slab skinless pork belly or thinly sliced pork belly, or pork shoulder
  • 75 g burdock root (gobo) scraped, sliced on the diagonal
  • 300 g daikon radish peeled, cut into 1.5cm half-moons
  • 150 g carrot peeled, cut into 1.5cm half-moons
  • 50 g fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed, sliced
  • 400 g konjac (konnyaku) torn into bite-sized pieces with a spoon
  • 60 g fried tofu pouch (aburaage) sliced into strips
  • 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) sliced on the diagonal

Seasonings

Toppings (optional)

Instructions 

  • Warm a large, deep pot over medium heat and arrange 200 g slab skinless pork belly (sliced) in a single layer. Sear on each side for 30 seconds to one minute, or until browned and the fat is starting to render out.
    Searing pork belly slices in a pot to make tonjiru.
  • Transfer the seared pork to a plate for now, and add 75 g burdock root (gobo) to the pot. Fry for about one minute in the rendered pork fat.
    searing burdock root in a pot on the stove top.
  • Add 300 g daikon radish and 150 g carrot, and stir fry for 2 minutes.
    Searing vegetable ingredients for tonjiru in a pot on the stove top.
  • Add 50 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, 400 g konjac (konnyaku), and 60 g fried tofu pouch (aburaage). Continue to stir fry until all ingredients are lightly coated in rendered pork fat.
    Searing tonjiru ingredients in a pot on the stove top.
  • Pour 1500 ml dashi stock into the pot along with ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and ½ tbsp mirin, and give it a gentle stir. Bring to a simmer, and let it gently bubble for 10 minutes or under the daikon is softened with a little bite.
    Pouring soy sauce into tonjiru.
  • Return the seared pork to the pot and add 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi). Simmer for 5 more minutes.
    Tonjiru simmering in a pot on the stove top.
  • Turn off the heat and measure out 6-7 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase). Add half of the miso to a miso strainer and whisk until it has dispersed into the soup. Stir gently, taste test, and continue to add the miso using the same method until it tastes good to you.
    • No miso strainer? Place the miso in a small heatproof bowl and add a few tbsp of hot broth. Whisk until smooth, then pour it into the pot.
  • Stir in ½ tbsp grated ginger root and ½ tbsp unsalted butter.
  • Divide into serving bowls and top with finely chopped green onions and Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi). Enjoy!
    Yuto Omura holding a steaming bowl of homemade tonjiru (pork miso soup)

Notes

Miso: add in stages. Start with about half the miso, stir it in, taste, then add more until the broth tastes right to you. Different miso brands and types vary significantly in salt content, so there is no universal "correct amount."
Never let the soup boil after adding miso. Boiling can destroy the volatile aromatic compounds that give miso its complex flavor. If reheating leftovers, warm gently over low heat and stir in a small spoonful of fresh miso before serving to restore the aroma.
Sear the pork properly. Lay slices in a single layer without crowding and let them brown undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. The rendered fat becomes the cooking base for the entire soup.
Cut root vegetables to uniform thickness. Aim for about 1.5cm thick half-moons for daikon and carrot. Uneven pieces cook unevenly, leaving you with mushy daikon alongside crunchy carrot in the same bowl.