Vegan Kenchinjiru
A warm, nourishing classic Japanese vegetable soup — hearty root vegetables, tender mushrooms, and daikon simmered in a rich kombu-shiitake dashi broth, then gently seasoned with white miso paste. Light yet satisfying, packed with fresh seasonal produce, and full of gentle umami warmth. Traditionally made with pork, this version keeps all the comforting flavour — completely plant-based, wholesome, and naturally healthy!
Shared by yuki
Time
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Vegan Dashi Broth
- 1 piece dried kombu — approx. 10 cm square
- 1 L water.. 4–5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- #Vegetables;
- 150 g daikon (white radish) — peeled, cut into half-moon slices
- 1 medium carrot — cut into thin rounds or batons
- 1 medium potato — peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 100 g shiitake or shimeji mushrooms — sliced or separated
- ½ block konnyaku (yam cake) — optional, torn into pieces
- 2–3 thin slices fresh ginger
- #Seasoning;
- 2–3 tbsp white miso paste (milder flavour).. 1 tsp soy sauce — optional
- ½ tsp sesame oil — per bowl, for finishing
- #Garnish;
- Fresh scallion — thinly sliced.. White pepper — pinch
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the dashi: Place water, kombu, and dried shiitake in a pot. Heat gently over low heat — do not boil. Remove kombu just before water reaches a simmer. Keep shiitake in the broth.
- 2
Simmer vegetables: Add daikon, carrot, potato, mushrooms, konnyaku (if using), and ginger. Simmer gently for 15–18 minutes until all vegetables are tender but not falling apart. Remove shiitake stems if desired.
- 3
Miso finish: Turn heat to lowest — miso must never boil! Spoon miso into a ladle, add hot broth, whisk smooth, then gently stir back into the soup. Add soy sauce if using. Taste and adjust — it should be mild, savoury, and comforting.
- 4
Serve: Ladle into bowls. Drizzle a drop of sesame oil, top generously with fresh scallion and a pinch of white pepper. Enjoy hot!