Tonjiru (sometimes called Butajiru) is a hearty pork and vegetable miso soup. With just 1 min in the Instant Pot, it will be the ultimate, comfy soup for fall and winter months!

Instant Pot Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Yukon gold potatoes (280 g or 10 oz)
• 1 onion
• 1 daikon radish (150 g or 5 oz)
• 1 carrot (150 g or 5 oz)
• 1 gobo (burdock root) (135 g or 4.8 oz)
• ½ konnyaku (konjac)
• ½ lb pork belly slices (227 g; Tip: If you freeze the meat for about ½ hour ahead of time, it is much easier to cut)
• 6 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (1440 ml)
• 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
• 2 green onions/scallions
• 8 Tbsp miso (more or less depending on miso; I used Enjuku Koji Miso from Hikari Miso)

To Serve (optional)

• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice)
• yuzu kosho

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.
   
2. Cut the potatoes into ¼ inch thick slabs and then cut into sticks. Soak the potatoes in water to remove the starch, for about 15 minutes.
3. Cut the onion into thin slices.
4. Cut the daikon into ¼ inch thick slabs and then cut into sticks.
5. Cut the carrot in half lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch thick slices.
6. Scrape the gobo skin with the back of the knife. Gobo has a delicious earthy taste right below the skin; therefore, you do not use a peeler to peel off the soft skin. Cut the gobo in half lengthwise.
7. Thinly slice gobo diagonally. Soak in water for 15 minutes to get rid of the bitter taste. Optional: add a dollop of vinegar to the water to make the gobo white.
8. Cut the konnyaku into ¼ inch thick slabs, then cut into sticks.
9. Blanch the konnyaku in boiling water for 3 minutes to remove the smell. Drain konnyaku with a sieve.
10. Cut the pork belly slices into 1 inch thick pieces. Tip: If you freeze the meat for about ½ hour ahead of time, it is much easier to cut.
11. All ingredients should be ready to go.
12. Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot and heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil.
13. When the oil is hot, add the onion and coat with the oil. Then add the meat and stir to combine.
14. Add all the vegetables and konnyaku.
15. Stir to combine and then add in the dashi last.
16. Dashi should cover the ingredients. The vegetables will release moisture so don’t worry if you feel the soup is not enough at this stage. If dashi is not covering the ingredients, add more dashi (or water).
17. Press “Cancel” to stop the “Saute” menu. Close the lid and press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” menu. Then set HIGH pressure for 1 minute. Make sure the steam release handle points at “sealing” and not “venting”. The float valve goes up when pressurized.
18. While the ingredients in the soup are being cooked, you can cut the green onions and set aside.
19. When it’s finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the “Keep Warm” mode. Let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. If the valve hasn’t dropped yet, then quick release the air (be careful and cover your fingers with a mitten or kitchen towel).
20. Open the lid and check if the hard vegetables are tender.
21. Add miso. I used 8 Tbsp of Hikari Miso ® Enjuku Koji Miso.
22. Dissolve the miso in a ladle before releasing it to the soup. Make sure to taste the miso soup. If you added too much miso, add dashi (or water) to dilute. If it’s not enough, add more miso ½ Tbsp at a time.
23. Pour the Tonjiru in a big bowl and sprinkle some green onions. Serve immediately. You can sprinkle shichimi togarashi or add a dollop of yuzu kosho for a spicy kick.

To Store

1. Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When you reheat, make sure not to over boil the miso soup. Tip: The best way to store miso soup is actually to store the soup BEFORE adding miso. You can take out the portion you will need into another pot and then add miso to taste. That way, you will always have the best tasting miso soup every time.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/instant-pot-tonjiru/