Tonjiru — Pork Belly & Root Vegetable Miso Soup

Ingredients

• 10 oz Pork Belly, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups Daikon, in quarter-moons
• 1 cup Carrots, in half-moons
• 1 burdock root, shaved (optional)
• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 5 cups dashi
• 4 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 block (7 oz) firm tofu, cubed
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 tsp shichimi togarashi

Method

1. Render the Pork Belly in the sesame oil over medium heat until the fat turns clear and the edges brown, 5 minutes.
2. Add the Daikon, Carrots, burdock, and potato and stir to coat in the rendered fat, cooking 3 minutes.
3. Pour in the dashi, bring to a simmer, and skim the grey foam that rises — that's the difference between a clean broth and a muddy one. Simmer 15 minutes until the root vegetables are fork-tender.
4. Add the tofu and warm through, then pull the pot off the heat entirely.
5. Dissolve the miso in a ladleful of hot broth and stir it back in. Never let it boil after this. Serve with scallions and shichimi.