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Tonjiru is a savory miso soup with pork and root vegetables. Packed with an excellent source of vitamins, it’s absolutely nourishing and soul-fulfilling!
If you ask me what is my favorite miso soup, I would immediately say Tonjiru (豚汁). This Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup is one of the true comfort foods that I crave when I travel. There’s nothing more soothing than a simple meal of Onigiri rice balls and Tonjiru.
You might have seen Tonjiru being featured on the popular Japanese TV drama called “Shinya Shokudo (深夜食堂)” or “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” on Netflix. In the opening scene, the main character Master is seen to be making a big pot of hearty soup, where steam is wafting through the kitchen.
If you find yourself extra hungry after watching all the scrumptious meals prepared by the Master, it’s time to create them right in your own kitchen! Each of the dishes is doable and I have the recipes just for you (Season 1 recipes; Season 2 recipes)!
What is Tonjiru?
Tonjiru (豚汁), literally meaning “pork (ton) soup (jiru)”, is basically miso soup featuring pork and root vegetables. Some people call it Butajiru (豚汁) too, just another way to read the same kanji character.
It may be a cold-weather staple, but I do enjoy the soup year-round. Not only it’s delicious, but the soup also packs in a lot of protein, minerals, fiber, and B vitamins that are great for both body and soul. The kind of comfort food that will warm and restore you. So what’s not to love?
Ingredients You’ll Need
The Pork
The most commonly used pork for this soup is pork belly slices. They look like bacon because they are the same cut of meat but uncured. You can buy pork belly slices in Japanese or Korean grocery stores or big blocks of pork belly in Chinese grocery stores (read this tutorial on How to Slice Meat Thinly). Some American grocery stores like the meat sections at Whole Foods may also offer the same cuts if you ask.
The Vegetables
Besides pork, the characteristic of this soup is that it is loaded with hearty root vegetables such as gobo (burdock root), taro, daikon, and carrot. You can cut these vegetables into any shape and size you like. Just make sure to keep all the ingredients the same size so that they take about the same cooking time.
Each household makes slightly different Tonjiru with various ingredients and miso of their choice. Besides what I use in my recipe, I’ve seen:
- Bean sprout
- Cabbage/Napa cabbage
- Asian chives (Nira)
- Potato
- Shimeji mushroom
- Shiitake mushroom
The Soup Stock
The sauteed pork belly gives the soup a sweet-savory flavor so some people use only water and leave out dashi in their Tonjiru. However, I personally prefer dashi in the soup broth for more umami and depth.
Watch How to Make Tonjiru
It’s really easy to make this hearty miso soup. Watch the video below first before following my step by step recipe below.
Tonjiru is a savory miso soup with pork and root vegetables. Packed with an excellent source of vitamins, it’s absolutely nourishing and soul-fulfilling!
Tips on Making Tonjiru
- Use at least 3 root vegetables – I highly recommend NOT skipping gobo, daikon, and carrot. These three vegetables add unique flavors, depth, and sweetness.
- Cut vegetables in the same size and similar shape – If you want chunkier texture in your soup, you can cut bigger size but make sure all the ingredients are similar in shape and size for even cooking time.
- Stir fry the meat and vegetables before adding soup stock – This helps to bring out flavors from the ingredients and add depth to the soup.
- Let the flavor soak in while cooling – If you have time, make this soup ahead of time. While you let the soup cool and wait for the meal, the flavor will improve.
- Add miso right before serving – Miso soup is the most fragrant and tasty when it’s added right before serving. And do not let the miso soup boil as it loses its wonderful flavor.
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Tonjiru
No time to keep a close watch on the pot? Try making Tonjiru in your pressure cooker! Here’s my recipe using the Instant Pot.
Itadakimasu!
Nourishing and easily customizable, Tonjiru is unquestionably home cooking of the best kind. You can make a big pot and enjoy it for the next 5 days! For a simple cozy dinner, I like to serve the soup to accompany the main dish like Japanese Salted Salmon along with steamed rice, pickles, and a few small sides.
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Tonjiru is a savory pork and vegetable miso soup you can easily make at home. Packed with B vitamins, fiber and minerals, this healthy soup is nourishing and soul-fulfilling. You'd love it on a cold-weather day!
- 10 oz sliced pork belly (272 g; Use at least ½ lb or 227 g of pork belly; for vegan, you can skip)
- 4 oz gobo (burdock root) (½ length, 100 g)
- 8 oz Taro (Satoimo) (3 pieces, 227 g)
- 1 onion (6 oz, 170 g)
- 9 oz daikon radish (2 inches, 247 g)
- 4 oz carrot (4 inches, 123 g)
- ½ block konnyaku (konjac) (4.5 oz, 128 g)
- ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt) (for cleaning Konnyaku)
- 1 Negi (long green onion)
- 1 piece aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- 1 knob ginger (Need 1 tsp grated)
- 7 oz medium-firm tofu (½ of one package; cut into ½" cubes)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (roasted)
- 6 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (1440 ml; for vegan, use Kombu Dashi)
- 6 Tbsp miso (Each miso brands/types taste differently, so please adjust the amount according to your miso)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (If you like to make it a bit spicy)
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It's easier to cut pork belly if it's slightly frozen, so put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you cut. Meanwhile, gather all the ingredients.
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Take out the pork from the freezer and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
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Scrape the gobo skin with the back of your knife. The flavor of the gobo is right underneath the skin; therefore, you only need to scrape off the outer skin. Do not use a peeler.
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From the end of gobo, make a cross incision about 1 inch deep. This helps "sharpening" the gobo easier. Rotate as you shave the end of the gobo, like how you sharpen a pencil with a knife. Soak the shaved gobo in water to prevent discoloring.
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Discard the dirty water and rinse gobo with running water.
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Cut off both ends of taro and peel the sides with the knife (or peeler).
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Cut the taro into ⅓ inch slices and soak in water to remove the sliminess.
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Cut the onion in half lengthwise and cut into thin slices.
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Peel and cut the daikon half lengthwise.
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Cut in half again (now they are quarters) and cut into ⅛ inch slices. If you have skinnier daikon, cut into thin half-moon-shaped slices.
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Peel and cut the carrot in half lengthwise, and then slice thinly.
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Cut the konnyaku into small and thin rectangular pieces.
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Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt and rub well with hands. Leave stand for 5 minutes. Tip: Salt releases water along with the unwanted odor.
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In the meantime, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the konnyaku.
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Cook konnyaku for 2-3 minutes and drain the water. (Tip: This helps to remove the unwanted smell.) Set aside.
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Slice the negi diagonally.
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Remove excess oil on aburaage with a piece of paper towel.
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Cut in half and thinly slice it.
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Peel and grate the ginger. You'll need 1 tsp of grated ginger.
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Cut the green onions into thin small rounds which we will use for garnish on top of the miso soup. Keep them in the bowl.
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In a large pot (I use this Le Creuset), heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil over medium heat.
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Add the pork belly and stir fry with a spatula.
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When the pork is no longer pink, add the onion.
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Stir fry and add daikon and carrot slices.
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When ingredients are coated with oil, add gobo and taro.
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Add konnyaku, aburaage, negi, and dashi. The dashi should be just enough to cover the ingredients. If not enough, add more dashi (if you have any) or water.
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Stir to mix and close the lid to bring it to boil.
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When boiling, lower the heat and skim off the scum and fat from the soup.
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Cook, covered with the lid, on simmer until root vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
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When an inserted skewer on a tough and thick vegetable pierces through, it's done cooking. Turn off the heat. If you are preparing ahead, stop here and let cool completely before storing the pot in the refrigerator.
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For the best flavor and fragrance, miso should be added right before serving if possible. Add 5 Tbsp miso using a strainer (Tip: always start adding a little less than the recipe says; each brand/type of miso has different saltiness). If you don’t have one, let the miso completely dissolved in the ladle first before releasing it to the soup. Taste the soup. If it's too salty, add dashi (if you have) or water. If the soup is not enough flavor, add more miso.
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I added more miso (1 Tbsp) here. When you are done with miso, add grated ginger. Tip: When you add tofu (always add tofu after miso as it is delicate), make sure your miso soup has a slightly stronger taste because the moisture from the tofu will dilute the flavor.
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Tear tofu into small pieces and add them. You can alternatively cut the tofu into cubes instead of tearing it. Tip: Tearing add more surface of tofu which will absorb more flavor of miso soup.
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When you are ready to serve, reheat the miso soup on medium-low heat and keep it at a low simmer. NEVER let the miso soup boil because miso will lose the flavor.
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Serve in the miso soup bowl, sprinkle green onion, and serve immediately.
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Let the miso soup cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Consume within 5 days.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: Pictures updated in June 2013.
I made this for a “starter” for a dinner party the other night because we were going have sukiyaki and I wasn’t sure our guests could have waited for something warm, having just come in from the Montreal cold. It was a real hit despite the absence of konyyaku, gobo and satoimo. All had seconds or thirds! Thanks Nami! Just wanted to let you know that ginger is missing from your ingredients list.
I’m happy to hear you adjusted recipe and you all enjoyed Tonjiru! I’m going to add the ginger in ingredient list. Thank you for letting me know!
I am so glad I found this recipe! It is one of my favorite meals but never had the ‘guts’ to try it out and didn’t know how to make it..your post makes it work alright for me and beings it is cold and snowy here in Hokkaido I am going to enjoy making this! Now on to my shopping list for it! And Merry Christmas to you!
Hi Vicki! I’m happy you like this recipe. I need to re-take pictures for this post so that it’s more appealing. I really love Tonjiru and make it often too. Ohhh it’s so cold in Hokkaido now, but having a nice soup like this (with good local vegetables!) must be wonderful!! Thank you so much for writing, Vicki! 🙂
Oh, this looks so good, Nami! I’m glad that I saw this today on Facebook!
Hoping to make it one evening for dinner. Yum!
I love Tonjiru more than regular miso soup. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Nami, I have made this numerous times and it has always come out fabulously! I have varied EVERYTHING on the list depending on what I had or could get, and it stays amazing. A very forgiving recipe, and an excellent method! Thanks for another winner!
Hi Angie! So happy to hear you enjoy this Tonjiru recipe! Yeah I also change things up based on ingredients I have in the kitchen. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Thankyou!! i live in Colorado and we don’t have many Asian influence here so i was like time to go to amazon haha.
Josh, thank you for your comment. Since you’re in the U.S. there are also other Japanese online grocery shop sites like:
http://www.marukaiestore.com/
http://shop.mitsuwa.com/eng/eindex.php
Hope that helps. 🙂
Mmmmm! Pork belly, miso and root veggies–talk about comfort food! I will definitely try this recipe out soon. One question, though–can you give us an idea, please, as to where we should look for konnyaku in an Asian market? Would it be in the refrigerated section, like tofu, or on the regular shelves like a dry good? Thanks!
Hi Linda! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I love Tonjiru!! Konnyaku is usually located next to tofu, deep fried tofu…. could be near miso etc. The Asian store that I go to is separated into sections with each country. In Japanese section, konnyaku is near tofu in refrigerated section. Hope this helps!
The package looks like this: https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry/konjac-konnyaku/
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love tonjiru soup and always wondered how to make it. Your recipe made it so easy for me to make.
Hi Janelle! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
I made this tonight, it was delicious! My husband loved it 🙂
I didn’t have burdock and baby taro, I used satsuma-imo (sweet potato) instead, and I think it still tasted great! 😀
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Hi Steph! I’m so happy you liked it! Don’t worry, some Japanese ingredients can be hard to find but I’m happy that you adapted the recipe! Yeah satsumaimo sounds delicious! It’s my favorite potatoes. 😀 Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
Hi Nami! I love your recipes! You’re my go to for anything I’m not positive about. I’m planning this for tonight with a tonkotsu broth. Thanks for the help!!!!
Hi Michael! Thank you so much! Tonjiru is my favorite! Hope you enjoy this dish tonight! 🙂
Yum! Great winter comfort food. The sesame oil adds great depth and we also add shichimi powder for a bit of kick.
Hi Ilonka! Yes! Sesame oil always brings out the appetite of the dish. 🙂
Hi, Nami-san!
This looks like the miso soup that the master in midnight diner prepares at the opening of the show. Btw, what dish or side dishes go well with this soup?
Thank you,
Hi Ima! Yes his specialty is Tonjiru. 🙂 I usually serve tonjiru with grilled fish (since miso soup has meat in it), side leafy vegetables. 🙂
Hi Nami, thank you for all your recipes, it’s just what I need as a big addict of Japanese home cooking! Can I ask how long tonjiru can keep in the fridge? Does it taste better overnight (such as nikujaga)? Thanks!
Hi Wei! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy Japanese cooking! Yes, you can keep Tonjiru in the fridge, maybe up to 5 days… if you add potatoes and tofu, they are one of ingredients that could go bad first (so watch out for that). I like 2nd day, flavors come out more (and a bit saltier so you might want to add dashi or water if it’s too salty). Enjoy!!
I was looking for something interesting to make with all my niban dashi so gave this a try. It was very tasty. Although I couldn’t get hold of a block of konnyaku so I just put in extra pork belly instead. :p
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Astra! That works, and you are just missing the texture, not much flavors from Konnyaku. Thank you for your kind feedback! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi, Nami san! I don’t like to put tofu in my tonjiro but i love aburaage tofu though. Can i simply replace the fresh tofu w/ that? It should taste ok right?
Hi Ima! Sure, you can. Miso soup ingredients can changed according to your preference and seasonality etc. 🙂
After watching Midnight Diner, I was craving this soup, which though not featured in the series, was depicted in the opening scenes. I did not have gobo or taro, but it still tasted really good. Wonderful hearty soup for getting over a flu!
Hi Ying! I was hoping that they would feature this soup so I could make it as similar as his method… but they didn’t. Still, this recipe is my favorite miso soup. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you for your kind feedback, Ying!
Hi Nami-san!
I just wanted to say thanks for all of these beautiful and delicious recipes. I made tonjiru this evening and it was delightful.
I used to live in Japan and was missing Japanese cooking – I came across your blog and have been working my way through your recipes. So far I’ve made your broiled salmon, ginger rice, pork rib and vegetable spring rolls, takikomi gohan, and this recipe for tonjiru. They’ve all come out wonderfully with your expert instructions, photos, and proper proportions for everything.
Thank you again for giving me a taste of Japan again through accessible recipes. Your blog is awesome!
Kindly,
Vicky
Hi Vicky! So happy to hear you tried this recipe along with other recipes from my site. I’m so delighted to hear you enjoyed them and I’m happy to hear my instructions were clear to guide you cook. Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂 Hope you can find recipes that you enjoyed in Japan on my blog.
For convenience sake, if i’m making this in a slow cooker, would the miso lose its flavor if i mix it from the very beginning?
Hi Jos! I suggest to add miso right before serving. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! The only change I made was to cut the konnyaku using a shot glass. Creates uneven surface which absorbs the flavor more.
Hi Shinji! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Yes, we can do the same using a spoon too (https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-beef-tendon-stew/), if anyone is curious. I hope you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Tried this, it was so good. Always love your recipes, btw can you do a sukiyaki donburi recipe?
Hi Gary! Thank you so. much for trying this recipe! I’m glad you liked it! I make Sukiyaki Donburi with the leftover Sukiyaki. 😀
https://www.justonecookbook.com/sukiyaki/
Pretty much same cooking method, but you serve over rice. 🙂
I just finished a big bowl of Tonjiru and it was incredibly delicious! Wow!
As a big fan of “Midnight Diner” I watched the Master cooking his “Pork Miso Combo” countless times, eventually identifying the ingredients. I knew you would have a recipe for something similar. Tonjiru!
I love gobo and taro, and the konnyaku soaked up the flavours so nicely. Thank you Nami!
I’d like to make this for my sister, but she’s allergic to pork. Could you suggest a substitute meat that would maintain the integrity of this dish? Turkey thigh, maybe?
Hi Colleen! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this soup! Yeah you can use any other meat besides beef. Pork belly is fatty and oil makes this dish more delicious (a lot more flavorful). So the final dish may not be as rich and flavorful, but it will be still delicious. Hope she will enjoy it too!
Incredible. Best soup I’ve ever made. Wanted to replicate the pork miso soup that a restaurant nearby makes, and this was perfect. Thank you 😭
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
This is a lovely recipe, which I’ve made a few times since we moved to Japan. It makes rather a large quantity (enough for 4 people as dinner on its own). I was wondering if you normally serve it as part of a larger spread with other dishes, or just on its own as a hearty soup?
Hi Nat! My mom always serve Tonjiru in a big donburi bowl (as a hearty dish) and serve grilled fish and small sides. If you are in Teishoku restaurant, they serve Tonjiru as a miso soup. So it’s really up to you! 🙂
I tried making Tonjiru before but it didn’t taste right. I never tried again — until recently. I used your recipe and it came out perfectly. I’m shin-nisei and was cooking for a Nihonjin and someone who grew up in Japan (father was Nihonjin). Everyone loved it. Thank you! 😊
Hi Komo! I first thought you didn’t like my tonjiru! Phew! I’m glad you enjoyed my recipe. Thank you for your feedback! I’m curious what was wrong in the previous Tonjiru recipe… no dashi or something? It’s fairly easy and simple to make Tonjiru… Hmmm…
a minestrone of some kind, or tomato lentils with pork sausage
Made this tonight, with the addition of fresh shiitake & wood ear mushrooms, & Shanghai bok choy (younger son loves greens). Satoimo & gobo were new vegetables for us to try; yes, the satoimo was a bit slimy & gobo does discolor really quickly, but your tips helped me deal with those. The soup turned out great & everyone loved it, so we’ll be making it from now on 🙂
After researching various tonjiru recipes including a few by professional chefs, I found yours to be by far the best-written with the clearest instructions. Thanks for all the time & work you put into Just One Cookbook.
Hi Trish! I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for trying my recipes! I’m glad to hear my recipe was helpful. But my English is not perfect, so you will find a lot of English errors! 😀 THank you again!
That your instructions are so clear with a generous number of extremely helpful & well-taken photos precludes any small slips with English grammar 🙂 English is one of the most nonsensical & difficult languages to learn! I admire multi-lingual speakers, having never achieved that myself. Besides, you’re very responsive in answering questions to clear up whatever anyone might want to know – which is greatly appreciated.
Well wishes to you & your family.
Aww thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! I’m happy to help, let me know if you have any question! I hope you and your family stay healthy at these difficult times!
Hi Nami,
What type of miso should be used in this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Susan! Any miso works, and that’s the fun part. We always have different flavors when you try with different miso.
This was delicious! I added a potato and mushrooms, left out the konnyaku, taro, and burdock. Be careful not to overdo the meat (it could probably just cook as is while the soup is boiling and simmering) because mine came out a bit dry by the end. 5 Tbsp of miso was a bit strong for my taste so I added more hot water and returned to comfortably level of saltiness. Will definitely make again!
Hi Em! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Glad you adjusted the soup at the end! That’s what I would do as well when I added a bit too much miso. Thanks again!
Great recipe Nami! I threw in a couple of frozen udon noodles and it made a great udon noodle soup for dinner! My 3 year old also loved the taste of the hearty soup. Thanks!:)
Hi Clement! That sounds delicious! And your story actually reminded me of the time when my kids are small and I used leftover miso soup to make noodle soup. 😀
Looks good. Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Nami!
In my country you can only get smoked raw pork belly in thin slices (it looks kinda like this if it helps
https://www.tabele-kalorii.pl/photo-1082450/Boczek-surowy-plastry-Pikok.jpg), would it be okay to use it in Tonjiru or other soup/stew recipes or should I just stick to the normal, raw one and cut it myself?
Thank you for this recipe, I’ll definitely try to try to make it with root vegetables available in my country (and maybe mushrooms, I love Asian mushrooms).
Hi Ola! Thank you for sharing the product link – it’s helpful! So it’s kind of like bacon? Salted already? Ideally, if possible, I would use raw, uncured meat because we don’t want to introduce salt from the meat. 🙂
I tastes nothing like bacon (more like ham or sth), but now (I had no luck before in googling, murphy’s law is striking) I found it’s smoked but for a shorter time and probably salted already, so not feasible.
Anyway, I used raw meat and froze it to slice it, it turned out not super neat, but workable.
And I changed gobo, daikon and konjac to vegetables available in my country (you can get only pickled daikon here), like celery, parsley and added cabbage and it turned out okay! It’s definitely fulfilling and nutritious (I prefer the tofu-wakame version though, it’s tastier for me).
Hi Ola! Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m glad you figured out the best way to make your Tonjiru! Thanks for sharing your cooking experience with us! 🙂
I love this recipe. I do a simplified version – leaving out the taro and tofus, and replacing the konnyaku with shirataki noodles – for a surprisingly filling noodle soup lunch. I make this at least once a week and it keeps quite well in the fridge despite the use of pork.
Hi qlevi! I love that you make low-calorie noodle soup! It’s filling from all the ingredients and healthy… Me too, I can have tonjiru weekly! 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe!
Can’t wait to try your recipe! Craving for it right now even though the weather is hot and sunny now in Singapore hehe.
Quick question, in the Midnight Diner video, he seems to have 2 types of miso. One is dark and one is light. I am not sure if I saw correctly and if it is indeed miso? My husband and me always wished they would feature this dish in one of their episodes.
Hi Min! A lot of households in Japan have two types of miso – shiro miso and aka miso so we can switch around to make different dishes with different miso AND not to get bored with miso soup everyday, we make our own Awase Miso with red and white miso (or sometimes white only, etc). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I’d made it and my family loved it!! It’s very cold now here in Peru and this was a main dish everyone enjoyed a lot. My fathers in law and my husband are japanese. I’m sansei born in Peru. Thankfully we can find many japanese products here and I made Tonjiru with all the ingredients of the recipe. All of the recipes books that my mother in law has are in japanese, and it’s very difficult for me to read them because they are in hiragana and kanji. It was my way to find how to make them in a language I can understand. Thank you for sharing all your incredible recipes. You can make me share my love to my family through the meals I can cook for them. 🙂
Hi Mimi! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe and thanks for using my recipes and having them being a part of your life! It meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoy discovering new recipes and sharing the joy and heritage with your family. Thank you very much for your kind feedback!