Originally created as a Buddhist temple cuisine, Kenchinjiru  is a clear soup cooked with root vegetables, tofu, shiitake and kombu stock. It’s a well balanced, flavorful soup if you're looking for a meatless meal on a cold night.

Kenchinjiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup)

INGREDIENTS

For Dashi

• 1 kombu (dried kelp) (1 kombu = 4” x 4” or 10 cm x 10 cm)
• 5 cups water (5 cups = 1200 ml) (for kombu)
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup water (1 cup = 240 ml) (for shiitake)

For the soup

• 7 oz firm tofu (7 oz = 200 g)
• ½ package konnyaku (konjac) (½ package = 130 g or 4.6 oz)
• 2 inch daikon radish (2" = 200 g or 7 oz)
• 1 carrot (1 carrot = 100 g or 3.5 oz)
• 3 Taro (Satoimo)
• ½ gobo (burdock root) (½ gobo = 100 g or 3.5 oz)
• 2 green onions/scallions
• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
• Japanese sansho pepper (optional)

Seasonings

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil (roasted)
• 3 Tbsp sake
• ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.

   
2. Previous Night: Clean kombu with damp towel (paper towel). NEVER wash kombu and do not remove the white powder (that’s where the umami flavor comes from!). Soak kombu in 5 cups of water overnight. If you don’t have time, skip soaking.
3. Slowly bring the kombu water to a boil. Right before the water boils, remove and discard the kombu. Turn off the heat and set aside.
4. Put dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with water. Place a smaller bowl on top to make sure mushrooms are submerged.
5. Wrap the tofu with paper towel and place it on a plate. Put another plate on top of tofu to press the tofu, drain for 30 minutes.
6. Cut konnyaku into bite size pieces. You can use a spoon to cut konnyaku. By giving konnyaku uneven texture, the surface will absorb more flavor. Then boil for 2-3 minutes to get rid of odor. Drain the water and set aside.
7. Peel and cut daikon, carrot, and satoimo (taro) into slices. For daikon and carrot, I slice them thinly so it will take less time to cook. For satoimo, I cut into about ¼” (6 mm) slices and soak in water to get rid of slimy texture.
8. Scrape the gobo skin with the back of a knife under running water. Cut in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Soak in water for 5 minutes and rain.
9. When shiitake mushrooms are soft and hydrated, squeeze the liquid out and set the mushrooms aside. Strain the shiitake dashi into finely meshed sieve to get rid of particles and set aside.
10. Remove and discard the stem of shiitake mushrooms and cut into quarters.
11. Heat a large pot and add sesame oil. Sauté daikon, carrot, satoimo (taro), gobo (burdock root) and konnyaku until the oil coats the ingredients.
12. Then add shiitake mushrooms. Tear tofu with your fingers and add into the pot (If you are using silken tofu, use a knife to cut and add it right before serving). Tofu will absorb more flavor when it is torn by hands. Saute until all the ingredients are coated with the oil.
13. Add the shiitake dashi and kombu dashi and bring it to a boil.
14. Turn down the heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, skimming occasionally. Use a fine strainer/skimmer to skim off the foam on the surface. I fill water in a measuring cup and clean the strainer in it. Exchange the water if it’s gets too dirty.
15. After 10 minutes, add sake and salt and continue to cook until the vegetables are all tender. Finally add the soy sauce.
16. Right before serving, cut the scallion. Serve the soup and garnish with scallion. Sprinkle Shichimi Togarashi and Sansho Pepper, if you like it spicy.

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