Pork Miso Soup – Tonjiru

Traditional seasonal Pork Stew prepared in dashi broth with miso and mixed vegetables.  This robust and flavorful stew like soup will perk up your senses and leave you feeling “right” again.   Tonjiru- Miso Pork Stew is a meal unto itself and may just become your new comfort food.

Miso soup is a staple of Japanese meals.

Traditionally in Japan, soup is served at all 3 daily meals not just dinner as most westerners might expect. There is either a clear soup or miso soup served with every meal in most households with miso soup being the most commonly prepared. Miso soup is the main dish in a traditional Japanese breakfast, accompanied simply with a bowl of rice and pickled vegetables.

Feeling a little guilty about this morning’s pancakes are you?

There are many, many  different types of miso. In ethnically diverse communities you will probably find a package of red or white miso, or possibly a mixture of the two in your local grocery store.  I have found many varieties in my local asian grocery store but I have to look very carefully at the packaging to discover how they are different.

Miso is quite salty and has a strong fermented flavor so it is never eaten by itself.  There is white (shiro) miso, red (aka) miso and a red and white blend (awase) available.   Some of the packages have dashi seasoning mixed into the miso paste which is very important to know so that you Do Not add more of this flavorful seasoning while cooking.

Been there and done that.

White miso is mild and sweeter and may be the best choice if this is your first time tasting it.  Red miso is darker and saltier and has a more robust flavor.  Generally speaking  the darker the color of the miso paste, the saltier and heartier it will be.  I do not care for the flavor of red miso so I do not use it when I cook.  I prefer shiro miso and usually just stick with this type. Occasionally I will change things up and buy the red/white blend which imparts just a slightly saltier heavier flavor to your soups, sauces and dressings.

Aside from the color of the miso the main means of varying the flavor of your soup is by the garnish that is incorporated.  At breakfast you may find soft silken tofu paired with  green onion or wakame seaweed. Later in the day you might have meat or fish together with shredded cabbage  and fried tofu with green onions, for example.

During the fall or winter seasons it is common to serve the more substantial Pork Miso Soup. This is simply miso soup made into a stew with meat and more variety and larger vegetables added to the base.  To make it more of a meal unto itself and, like the best stews, it is…

Even better the next day.

Like most stews once you have the roué or base you can add any vegetables and spices you like best and voilà, you have your very own creation.  Use what you have available to you and if you cannot find konnyaku and really don’t even care because it looks strange, don’t worry about it.  Replace it with half a block of  medium firm tofu cut into large cubes but be sure to add the tofu last so that the cubes don’t break up when stirring.  Tofu is delicate.

I like to use sesame oil with the pork because I think it adds more complexity and interesting flavor to the overall soup base but vegetable oil is more commonly used.  The amount of miso may vary depending on the blend you use.  When you have it just right the base should definitely look more yellowish brownish than like a chicken soup broth.  When stirred it will look like a stew.  After the miso settles it will look more like broth.

I would definitely try to find the core ingredients:

• Pork
• Daikon
• Carrot
• Potato
• Green Onion

I used 2 different kinds of potatoes in today’s recipe: russet potato and taro root.  Taro are tricky to handle but I love the soft glutinous texture when they are cooked so love to use these during the colder weather as often as I can.

You will find no two recipes are the same when you search for tonjiru, butajiru or pork miso soup which all mean the same thing.  Don’t be afraid to move outside your comfort zone with this recipe and branch out with a few new ingredients and be sure to send me your comments!

Be careful, this stew may just become your new comfort food.

Dashi Bonito soup base

MISO Fermented soy bean paste

KONNYAKU  Grey colored, translucent loaf, also found in noodle shapes, made from the starch of the devil’s tongue plant. It has no calories but is a good source of fiber. Always parboil before use to remove the odor.  Keeps in fridge 1-2 weeks by changing the water every few days.  Used mainly to add texture more than flavor to dishes.

TARO ROOT  A starchy tuberous root