Kenchinjiru (Japanese Temple-Style Vegetable & Tofu Soup)

Ingredients

Contains soy. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Combine kombu, dried shiitake and 1400 ml cold water in a medium pot and let soak to extract flavor.

   Soaking at room temperature softens mushrooms and yields a clean, vegetarian dashi; you can speed this by starting with warm water but avoid boiling kombu.

   30 min
2. 2

   Heat the pot over medium until it just reaches a gentle simmer, then remove the kombu and simmer 5 minutes to deepen the shiitake flavor.

   5 min
3. 3

   Remove the shiitake; reserve the soaking liquid as your dashi and thinly slice the rehydrated shiitake caps for the soup.

4. 4

   Peel and slice the daikon and carrot into 1/4" (6 mm) half-moons.

5. 5

   Scrub the gobo and julienne into matchsticks, then place in water to soak and remove surface bitterness.

   If you don't have gobo, use parsnip or omit; keep the gobo in water until ready to use so it doesn't darken.

   5 min
6. 6

   Slice the onion and potato; thinly slice the konnyaku and rinse it briefly, then bring a small pot of water to a boil and parboil the konnyaku 2 minutes to remove its odor; drain.

   2 min
7. 7

   Press the tofu between paper towels to remove excess liquid, then cut into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes.

8. 8

   Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add onion, carrot, daikon, gobo and konnyaku, and sauté until edges begin to soften, about 3–4 minutes.

   4 min
9. 9

   Pour the reserved shiitake–kombu dashi into the pot, add the potato and sliced shiitake caps, and bring to a gentle simmer until the vegetables are tender.

   15 min
10. 10

    Gently slide the tofu cubes into the simmering soup and warm through 3 minutes.

    3 min
11. 11

    Ladle about 120 ml (1/2 cup) hot broth into a small bowl, whisk in the miso until smooth, then stir the miso slurry back into the pot and heat just until the soup is warmed; do not boil after adding miso.

    Dissolving miso in hot but not boiling broth prevents it from losing delicate flavors and preserves probiotics in unpasteurized miso.

    2 min
12. 12

    Taste and add up to 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce if you want more saltiness, then ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions and mitsuba; finish with shichimi togarashi if using.