Tonjiru (Butajiru): Pork and Vegetables Miso Soup
Tonjiru (butajiru) is a variant of Japanese miso soup where the diluted miso is added after simmering small pieces of pork and vegetables in dashi.Chunky enough for a light lunch, double or triple the ingredients because everyone will want a generous share.
Ingredients
- 1 small handful wood ears
- 1 small onion
- 1 half-inch knob ginger
- 300 grams pork belly or shoulder
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 6 cups dashi
- ½ cup julienned carrot
- 1 cup green beans or yard-long beans, cut into two-inch lengths
- 2 heaping tablespoons miso paste
- salt
- sliced scallions to garnish
Instructions
- Place the wood ears in a bowl and pour in enough hot water to cover.
- Peel and thinly slice the onion.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Thinly slice the pork.
- Heat the sesame seed oil in a pot. Spread the pork slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Add the ginger and onion slices to the pork; continue cooking with occasional stirring until the onion slices are soft.
- Pour the dashi into the pot.
- Simmer the pork for about 20 minutes or until tender.
- Drain the now-swollen wood ears and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Add the wood ears, carrot and beans to the pork. Cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are done.
- Place the miso paste in a bowl and add a cup of the hot broth. Stir until no lumps remain.
- Pour the diluted miso paste into the pot and stir. Taste. Add more salt, if needed.
- Serve thr pork and vegetables miso soup topped with sliced scallions.
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