Kenchinjiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup) (Video) けんちん汁

Originally created as Zen Buddhist temple cuisine, Kenchinjiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup) is a clear soup with root vegetables, tofu, shiitake, and kombu stock. It’s a well-balanced and flavorful soup for a plant-based meal on a cold night. {Vegan}

If you’re experiencing cool weather, a nice hot bowl of hearty vegetable soup will really warm you up. Today’s recipe is a traditional dish called Kenchinjiru (けんちん汁) that’s a clear Japanese soup made with root vegetables and tofu.

Kenchinjiru is a simple yet substantial soup that’s surprisingly full of flavor and textures. This plant-based dish will become your new favorite meal on a cold night!

What is Kenchinjiru?

Kenchinjiru or Kenchin-jiru is a vegan/vegetarian soup that was originally considered shōjin ryōri (精進料理) or traditional Buddhist temple cuisine. Its name derives from the Zen Buddhist temple Kencho-ji (建長寺) in Kamakura, Japan. Jiru means soup in Japanese.

To add depth, this dish uses a vegan dashi of kombu and shiitake mushroom instead of the fish-based dashi typically used in Japanese cooking. Despite being meatless, Kenchinjiru is full of flavor and different textures from the root vegetables. Lastly, the shiitake mushrooms and tofu absorb all the delicious flavor of the broth.

Ingredients for Kenchinjiru

• kombu (dried kelp), shiitake, and water – for the vegan dashi
• firm tofu
• konnyaku (konjac)
• daikon radish
• carrot
• satoimo (taro)
• gobo (burdock root)
• toasted sesame oil
• sake, kosher salt, and soy sauce
• green onions/scallions – for garnish
• shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) and Japanese sansho pepper – optional, for a spicy kick

Kenchinjiru Variations and Substitutions

• Make it with miso. Originally, this is a clear soup made with soy sauce. However, you can also make it with miso, especially if you prefer a bolder flavor for your soup.
• Add chicken or pork. You can include meat protein to make it similar to tonjiru, a miso soup with pork and vegetables that’s my favorite kind of miso soup. However, I like my Kenchinjiru to be very simple with just vegetables without meat.
• Change up the veggies. This soup includes traditional Japanese root vegetables for flavor and texture. However, you can use any vegetables you wish to make it your own.

How To Make Kenchinjiru

1. Make the kombu dashi. Start the night before, if you have time.
2. Start the shiitake dashi. Rehydrate the dried shiitake in a small bowl of measured water.
3. Drain the tofu wrapped in paper towels between two plates for 30 minutes.
4. Cut the konnyaku into bite-size pieces with a spoon and boil for 2–3 minutes.
5. Peel and cut the root vegetables.
6. Squeeze out the mushrooms and quarter the caps. Strain the soaking liquid through a sieve; this is shiitake dashi.
7. In a large pot, sauté the root veggies and konnyaku in sesame oil. Add the mushrooms.
8. Tear the tofu with your fingers and add to the pot.
9. Add the shiitake dashi and kombu dashi. Boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Skim the foam and scum off the surface with a fine-mesh strainer.
10. Season with sake, kosher salt, and soy sauce.
11. Serve and garnish the soup with sliced green onions.

Cooking Tips and Techniques for Kenchinjiru

• Cut the konnyaku with a spoon. When you cut konnyaku with a spoon, it increases the surface area, which creates a higher rate of absorption of the delicious stock and seasonings. I learned this technique from my mom!
• Tear the tofu with your fingers. My mom also taught me that tearing the tofu creates more surface area than cutting it with a knife. It helps absorbs more flavors. Using the same logic, I stir-fry the tofu a little bit in sesame oil to get a nice coating on them.
• Don’t skip the gobo and daikon. The typical ingredients include different kinds of root vegetables. Among them, gobo and daikon are important to add flavor and textures to the soup. Both are easily accessible in Asian supermarkets.
• Clean the soup’s foam for a clear broth. In Japanese cooking, we skim the scum and foam from stocks to yield a clean liquid to give soups, hot pots, and stews a refined taste and clear appearance.

This hearty soup has plenty of different flavors going on, just like a stew. I hope you enjoy it!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• 12 Easy & Healthy Japanese Recipes

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Kenchinjiru

4.69 from 45 votes

Originally created as Buddhist temple cuisine, Kenchinjiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup) is a clear soup cooked with root vegetables, tofu, shiitake, and kombu stock. It’s a well-balanced and flavorful soup for a meatless meal on a cold night. {Vegan}

Print Pin

Video

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Vegan Dashi

• ▢ 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece)
• ▢ 5 cups water (for the kombu)
• ▢ 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
• ▢ 1 cup water (for the shiitake)

For the Soup

• ▢ 7 oz firm tofu (½ 14-oz block)
• ▢ ½ package konnyaku (konjac) (4.6 oz, 130 g)
• ▢ 7 oz daikon radish (2 inches, 5 cm)
• ▢ 3.5 oz carrot (1 medium)
• ▢ 3 pieces taro (satoimo)
• ▢ 3.5 oz gobo (burdock root) (½ gobo)

For the Seasonings

• ▢ 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• ▢ 3 Tbsp sake
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 2 Tbsp soy sauce

For the Garnish

• ▢ 2 green onions/scallions
• ▢ shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
• ▢ Japanese sansho pepper (optional)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  

To Prepare the Ingredients

• The Previous Night: Gently clean 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) with a damp towel. NEVER wash kombu and do not remove the white powder (that’s where the umami flavor is). These days, kombu is pretty clean. Soak the kombu in 5 cups water overnight. If you don’t have time, skip soaking and go to the next step.
  
• The Next Day: Slowly bring the kombu and water to a boil. Right before the water boils, remove and discard the kombu. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
  
• Put 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup water. Place a smaller bowl on top to keep the mushrooms submerged.
  
• Wrap 7 oz firm tofu with a paper towel and place it on a plate. Put another plate on top to press the tofu. Drain for 30 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, cut ½ package konnyaku (konjac) into bite-size pieces. You can use a spoon to cut the konnyaku. By giving the konnyaku an uneven texture, the surface will absorb more flavor. Then, boil for 2–3 minutes to get rid of the odor. Drain the water and set it aside.
  
• Peel 7 oz daikon radish, 3.5 oz carrot, and 3 pieces taro (satoimo). Cut the daikon in quarters lengthwise and the carrot in half lengthwise. Slice them thinly crosswise so they will cook faster. Cut the satoimo into about ¼-inch (6-mm) slices and soak in water to get rid of the slimy texture.
  
• Scrape the skin off 3.5 oz gobo (burdock root) with the back of a knife under running water. Cut in half lengthwise and thinly slice diagonally. Soak in water for 5 minutes and drain.
  
• When the shiitake mushrooms are soft and hydrated, squeeze out the liquid and set aside the mushrooms. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of any particles. You now have shiitake dashi. Set it aside.
  
• Remove and discard the stems of the shiitake mushrooms and cut the caps into quarters.
  

To Cook the Kenchinjiru

• Heat a large pot and add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Sauté the daikon, carrot, taro (satoimo), gobo (burdock root), and konnyaku until the oil coats the ingredients.
  
• Then, add the shiitake mushrooms. Tear the tofu with your fingers and add to 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 hand. Sauté until all the ingredients are coated with the oil.
  
• Add the shiitake dashi and kombu dashi. Bring it to a boil.
  
• Turn down the heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, skimming occasionally. Use a fine-mesh strainer to skim the foam and scum on the surface. Tip: Fill a measuring cup with water and clean the strainer in it. Change the water when it gets dirty.
  
• After 10 minutes, add 3 Tbsp sake and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and continue to cook until the vegetables are all tender. Finally, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce.
  

To Serve

• Right before serving, thinly slice 2 green onions/scallions. Serve the soup and garnish with scallion. Sprinkle with optional shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) and Japanese sansho pepper, if you like it spicy.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container or the pot and store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 138 kcal · Carbohydrates: 13 g · Protein: 6 g · Fat: 6 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 663 mg · Potassium: 312 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 4204 IU · Vitamin C: 14 mg · Calcium: 150 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: vegetable

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