Kenchinjiru - Japanese Clear Vegetable Soup

A bowl of kenchinjiru topped with a garnish of spring onion.

Kenchinjiru - Japanese Clear Vegetable Soup

This soup is so quintessentially Japanese. Oozing with umami, kenchinjiru is stocked full of vegetables, tofu and konnyaku with a light dashi broth. Perfect for a nourishing lunch or dinner!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings Serves

Calories 168kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $15

Ingredients

For the vegetables

200 g konjac / Konnyaku blocks 7 oz
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
150 g sweet potato 5.2 oz, in place of burdock / gobo
200 g daikon 7 oz, quartered, sliced thinly
100 g carrot 3.5 oz, sliced into half moons
6 shiitake mushrooms quartered, sub shimeji
200 g firm tofu 7 oz, torn into chunks

For the soup broth

3 cups water 750 ml / 1.58 pt
3 tsp dashi powder
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
salt to taste, around ¼ tsp

Garnish ideas

spring onion / green onion sliced for garnish
shichimi togarashi
goma shio
rayu chilli oil

Instructions

For the konnyaku

First we need to prep the 200 g konjac / Konnyaku blocks. Using a spoon, break it into odd pieces to allow the edges to soak up the flavour.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add in ¼ tsp salt. Next, pop in the konnyaku pieces and boil for 2-3 minutes then drain.

For the vegetables

Pour your 1 tbsp sesame oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the 150 g sweet potato, 200 g daikon and 100 g carrot and fry for around 3 minutes to seal and soften slightly.
Next add in the 6 shiitake mushrooms and continue frying for 1-2 minutes.

For the soup broth

Pour in the 3 cups water over the vegetables, followed by the 3 tsp dashi powder, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin and optional salt. Give everything a quick stir.
Now carefully add in the konnyaku, then break up the 200 g firm tofu into chunks and add into the soup.
As it comes to the boil, there may be foam that forms on the top. Scoop off with a spoon for a clearer soup.
Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Serve with garnishes such as spring onion / green onion, shichimi togarashi, goma shio and / or rayu chilli oil.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKoMKc9LlDQ

Notes

Let The Flavours Develop – Cooking the soup the day before and then reheating it the next day will really allow those flavours to soak into the vegetables, tofu and konnyaku.
Konnyaku – Konnyaku will have the best texture when cooked from boiling water and not in cold water first (then boiled).
Make it Vegan – Swap the dashi for shiitake dashi or kombu dashi.
Add Mustard – Sarah loves adding karashi mustard when she has this soup. Spreading it on the larger pieces of vegetables or tofu, similar to when we eat simmered daikon or oden.

Nutrition