Kenchin-jiru (けんちん汁)
Japan
Nutritious Japanese vegetable soup with tofu, daikon, carrot, taro, and dried shiitake mushrooms. Dashi broth made from dried bonito flakes gives the dish a yuzu aroma and a light heat from cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
- 150 g daikon
- 70 g carrot
- 2 pcs taro
- 2 pcs shiitake mushrooms
- 150 g tofu
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 800 ml dashi broth
- 100 ml water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 2 pcs green onion greens
- to taste yuzu peel
- to taste cayenne pepper powder
Steps
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Break the tofu by hand into pieces about 2 cm in size and place them in a flat colander.
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Peel the daikon, cut it lengthwise in half, then halve each half again and slice into pieces about 5 mm thick. Peel the carrot, cut it lengthwise in half and slice into pieces about 4 mm thick.
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Wash the taro tubers, pat them dry with a towel, peel and cut into pieces about 5 mm thick. If desired, lightly salt and rinse them to remove excess slime.
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Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in water. Then squeeze them without discarding the water, trim the stems and thinly slice the caps.
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Slice the green onion greens into rings. Remove the white bitter part of the yuzu peel and cut it into thin strips.
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Heat the sesame oil in a skillet, then sauté the daikon and carrot until they are coated with oil. Add the taro, shiitake mushrooms and tofu, and stir.
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Pour in the dashi broth and the 100 ml of mushroom-soaking water, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low, add the soy sauce, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
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Check the vegetables for doneness and season with additional salt if needed. Turn off the heat, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with rings of green onion and sliced yuzu peel. Add cayenne pepper powder to taste if desired.