Tonjiru (Pork soup)

Ingredients

• Drizzle vegetable oil
• 200 g piece boneless pork belly, rind removed, thinly sliced 
• Pinch of salt
• 200 g daikon, peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
• 100 g carrot, peeled and cut into julienne
• 150 g burdock root (or potato), peeled, soaked and cut into julienne
• 150 g konnyaku (see note), thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, cut into 2 cm lengths
• 125 ml (½ cup) dashi stock
• 100 g miso paste
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• shichimi (Japanese 7 spice), to taste
• Chopped chives, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the pork with a pinch of salt until golden. Add the daikon, carrot, burdock root (see note), konnyaku and spring onion. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
2. Add the dashi stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, occasionally skimming any impurities that rise to the top. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.
3. If using potato, add to the soup and simmer for another few minutes or until tender. Place the miso paste in a fine sieve and dunk into the boiling water, then use the back of a spoon to push the miso into the soup (this helps avoid any lumps). Add half the soy sauce. Taste the soup and add more soy sauce to taste if needed.
4. Serve the soup sprinkled with a little shichimi and a sprinkling of chives.  

Notes:

- Konnyyaku is a vegetable jelly made from yam starch. Available from Asian food stores.

- If using potato instead of burdock root, add it at the beginning of step 4.

Photography by Danielle Abou Karam.

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