Tonjiru

Ingredients

• •1/2 lb thinly sliced pork belly or pork loin
• •1 tbsp vegetable oil
• •1/2 daikon radish, cut into thin half-moons
• •1 carrot, cut into thin half-moons
• •1 potato, cubed
• •4 oz burdock root (gobo), sliced (optional)
• •4 oz konnyaku, sliced (optional)
• •4 cups dashi
• •3-4 tbsp miso paste
• •2 green onions, sliced

Steps

1. 1.Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the pork slices until no longer pink.
2. 2.Add the daikon, carrot, potato, burdock, and konnyaku, and sauté for a few minutes to coat them in the rendered fat.
3. 3.Pour in the dashi and bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam, then cook until the vegetables are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
4. 4.Ladle a little of the hot broth into a small bowl, whisk in the miso paste until dissolved, then stir this loosened miso back into the pot.
5. 5.Add the green onions and turn off the heat immediately - if you keep simmering after the miso goes in, its flavor and aroma fade, so tonjiru is always finished this way rather than boiled with the miso already in.
6. 6.Serve hot as a hearty, meal-in-a-bowl soup.