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
Pork Miso Soup - Tonjiru
- January 12, 2020
- 6
- 40 min
- Print this
Ingredients
- 6 c dashi stock (if using miso with dashi use 6 cups water)
- sesame oil for cooking
- 1/4 lb. pork shoulder or pork with some fat, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 T minced ginger
- 1/2 c white miso paste (less if using blended miso paste)
- 3 large carrots, rolling cut about 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 taro potato, quartered(optional)
- 1-2 russet potato, 1/2 inch half moon slices
- 1/2 konnyaku cake, parboil before slicing into 1 inch slices, or as you like
- 1/2 small daikon radish, peeled and sliced into half moon shapes
- 3 green onion thinly sliced for garnish
- red pepper or sriracha (optional)
Directions
- Step 1
- To prepare the taros: cut off each end and peel the skin. Place in a basket/strainer and sprinkle liberally with salt and let them stand 5 minutes. Shake the strainer and wash the taros under running water to remove the sliminess and salt then set aside until you are ready to use.
- Step 2
- If using miso with dashi skip this step: Dissolve instant dashi in water according to package directions. Set aside.
- Step 3
- Heat large stock pot with 1-2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil to medium high. Add pork and cook 1- 2 minutes then add ginger and cook til fragrant. Add dashi stock and bring to a simmer. Remove any scum that comes to surface while pork simmers about 10 minutes, depending on size of pieces
- Step 4
- Add potatoes and carrots and cook another 5 minutes than add the smaller vegetables and konnyaku, (not the green onion) and cook another 5- 10 minutes until they are all tender
- Step 5
- Blend in the miso 1 tablespoon or so at a time using a large ladle. Scoop a little broth into the ladle and add miso paste and stir to dissolve the paste. Add the dissolved paste to soup in batches until all the paste is incorporated
- Step 6
- Reheat but do not boil. When ready to serve add a little green onion to each individual bowl
- Step 7
- Note: Add a squirt of Sriracha to your bowl if you like a little heat.
Kate, This looks like something I could make but I need you to explain the Dashi step. How did you make that…did you use a powder/instant dashi?
Is that the soup that you made us when we came over for dinner in a much lighter version?
Beth, Good question! Looks like it may be sold at Wegmans but I get it at Asian food stores. I added a link to amazon for the stock sold there. Also known as bonito soup stock, it comes in powder form or a satchet packet and you add about 1 t for the pot of soup. It is mild and you can always add more to suit your taste but chicken stock changes the entire flavor so I do not recommend substituting.
I can’t remember what we had last time you were over!