This Tonjiru Japanese Pork Miso Soup recipe is a hearty cold weather soup full of tender pork belly and healthy vegetables that’s easy to make and so satisfying! It’s a go-to Japanese soup recipe during the winter months!
Tonjiru, meaning “pork soup” in Japanese, is one of the heartiest and umami packed soups. Made from traditional miso and flavored with all the goodness from the pork belly and veggies, not only is this soup healthy but it’s also low in carbs.
This hearty soup is very easy to make and makes for a perfect meal to warm you up during the winter season.
What is Japanese Tonjiru Pork Miso Soup?
Tonjiru is a hearty soup made from traditional miso paste that’s been cooked with pork belly and various healthy roots and vegetables. It can be enjoyed as a side or main dish.
What ingredients will I need to make tonjiru pork miso soup ?
- Dashi
- Pork Belly
- Sesame Oil
- Ginger
- Burdock Root (Gobo)
- Carrot
- Onion
- Green Onion
- Japanese Radish (Daikon)
- Tofu
- Shirataki Noodles
- Awase Brown Miso
What kind of miso should I use?
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans. It adds a savory umami flavor to many Japanese dishes.
There are many kinds of miso including red/aka, white/shiro, and brown/awase. Awase means a mix and it’s a blend of white and brown miso paste.
For pork miso soup, I recommend using brown/awase miso for the perfect balance of salt and umami.
How do you use miso paste?
The general rule is 1 tbsp of miso per 1 cup of liquid/broth.
Add miso into soft boiling water and mix to dissolve. Once you add miso, remove it from heat. Avoid boiling miso. Doing so will kill the healthy active probiotics found in miso that helps with digestive health.
What kind of pork belly cut should I use for this tonjiru recipe?
Any type of pork belly should we find to use for this recipe. Skinless thick or thin cut pork belly is preferred.
What is the nutrition information for this tonjiru soup recipe?
- 514 Calories
- 5g Carbohydrates
- 1g Fiber
- 11g Protein
- 50g Fat
- 61mg Cholesterol
- 583mg Sodium
- 205mg Potassium
- 15mg Calcium
- 1mg Iron
- 93ui Vitamin A
- 1mg Vitamin C
Do you have any tips or tricks for making this Japanese pork miso soup recipe?
- Don’t let the miso soup boil or it will lose some of the flavors and kill the beneficial probiotics found in miso.
- If you’re short of time, you can use hondashi to make the soup stock.
- Sprinkle some Togarashi (Japanese ground chili pepper) to give it some spice.
- For a more hearty soup, add konjac block and fresh shiitake mushrooms.
- Tonjiru miso soup tastes the best the day after, so double up the batch.
- You can safely freeze any leftovers.
Looking for other Japanese soup recipes to try?
- Beef Udon
- Keto immi Black Garlic Chicken Ramen
- Japanese Chicken Soup
- Dango Meatball Soup
- Full Collection of Asian Soup Recipes
Now let’s get making this Japanese Tonjiru Pork Miso Soup recipe!
- Prepping Time 10M
- Cook Time 20M
- Total Time 30M
- Net Carb/Serv ~6g
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- 6 Cups of Dashi
- 1 1/2 lb Slice of Pork Belly
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Inch Ginger
- 1/4 Whole Burdock Root Gobo (about 6 inches)
- 1 Whole Carrot
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
- 1 Stalk Green Onion
- 2 Inch Japanese Radish (Daikon)
- 1/4 Box of Tofu (about 3.5oz)
- 8 oz Shirataki Noodles
- 5 1/2 tbsp Miso
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) Make 6 Cups of Dashi. Set on simmer and hold aside.
3) In the meantime, peel the skin off the Japanese radish, cut into small cubes about 1″ x 1″ and place in a bowl of water.
4) Cut pork belly into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
5) Grate ginger and set aside.
6) Coat frying pan with cooking oil and add in sliced pork belly and grated ginger on high heat. Cook for about 2-3 until browned on all sides, add in 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil and mix well. Once done, transfer to a holding plate.
7) Prepare all the ingredients by chopping onions, slicing carrots and burdock root into 1/4″ slices, cutting tofu into 1/2″ cubes, and finely chopping green onions. Set all aside.
8) Prepare Shirataki Noodles by straining prepacked liquid and washing noodles under cold water. Set aside in a bowl.
9) Coat a large stove top pot with cooking oil on high heat and add in carrots, burdock root and onions. Cook for 1 minute while mixing and then add in 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
10) Next, add the cooked pork belly and Dashi from step 2). Strain the water from Japanese radish and add into the stove top pot. Bring the soup to a boil and once boiling, lower heat to low/simmer and cover 7/8 way to allow for venting. Cook for 20 minutes.
11) After 20 minutes has passed, add tofu and Shirataki Noodles, cook for another 3 minutes partially covered.
12) Inside a strainer, add Miso and mix into water to dissolve (never boil Miso as it will lose its umami flavor). Transfer soup to a serving bowl and top with green onion.
Hope you enjoy your Japanese Tonjiru Pork Miso Soup!
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Tonjiru Pork Miso Soup
Ingredients
- 6 Cups Dashi
- 1 1/2 lb Pork Belly
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Inch Ginger
- 1/4 Whole Burdock Root
- 1 Whole Carrot
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
- 1 Stalk Green Onion
- 2 Inches Japanese Radish Daikon
- 1/4 Box Tofu about 3.5oz
- 8 oz Shirataki Noodles
- 5 1/2 tbsp Miso
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Make 6 Cups of Dashi. Set on simmer and hold aside.
- In the meantime, peel the skin off the Japanese radish, cut into small cubes about 1" x 1" and place in a bowl of water.
- Cut pork belly into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
- Grate ginger and set aside.
- Coat frying pan with cooking oil and add in sliced pork belly and grated ginger on high heat. Cook for about 2-3 until browned on all sides, add in 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil and mix well. Once done, transfer to a holding plate.
- Prepare all the ingredients by dicing onions, slicing carrots and burdock root into 1/4" slices, cutting tofu into 1/2" cubes, and finely chopping green onions. Set all aside.
- Prepare Shirataki Noodles by straining prepacked liquid and washing noodles under cold water. Set aside in a bowl.
- Coat a large stove top pot with cooking oil on high heat and add in carrots, burdock root and onions. Cook for 1 minute while mixing and then add in 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Next, add the cooked pork belly and Dashi from step 2). Strain the water from Japanese radish and add into the stove top pot. Bring the soup to a boil and once boiling, lower heat to low/simmer and cover 7/8 way to allow for venting. Cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes has passed, add tofu and Shirataki Noodles, cook for another 3 minutes partially covered.
- Inside a strainer, add Miso and mix into water to dissolve (never boil Miso as it will lose its umami flavor). Transfer soup to a serving bowl and top with green onion.
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I’ve think I found the ramen fix ? you guys are amazing
Hey Foodie! Tonjiru is my and my father-in-laws favorite soup! It’s much less salty than miso ramen and much more creamy and light. If you’re strict keto, just make sure to limit the amount of root vegetables you use to avoid racking up the carbs. This soup is really good though! Wish more people knew about it!
I had a craving for Ramen in this cold weather. I can’t wait to make this dish! Thanks!
Hey Elaine! For sure! We just had it the other night and hands down one of our favorite soups to have during the colder months! Also, if you’re looking for an ramen dish, check out – https://www.lowcarbingasian.com/keto-immi-black-garlic-chicken-ramen/