Comments on: Kenchinjiru (Vegan Japanese Soup)

By: Marc Matsumoto

Marc Matsumoto — Wed, 05 May 2021 05:56:55 +0000

In reply to Josh. Thanks Josh, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yes, Kenchinjiru is more of a stew than a soup, but it also doesn't have the thick viscosity of western-style stews which is probably why it's usually translated as a soup. Perhaps Stoup is a better description 😆

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 05 May 2021 01:14:51 +0000

This is a great recipe! The flavors are really well-balanced, and delicate enough that you can taste each piece. After putting in the 2tbsp soy sauce I was really skeptical about also adding the whole amount salt, so I only put in 3/4tsp, but the recipe was spot on-- after tasting at the end, I added the missing 1/4tsp back in.

The one thing I didn't expect (though probably should have from the photo!) was how chunky the recipe comes out, much more like a stew than a soup. I think for my own preference I might try making more dashi at the beginning for a soupier soup.

By: Ken Blunt

Ken Blunt — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 18:51:12 +0000

Just made this and it was delicious. Really satisfying and I love how the seasoning is light enough that you can taste the subtle flavors of the individual root vegetables and the distinct savory flavor of the shiitake mushrooms (I used fresh shiitake mushrooms and just added some water when the recipe says to pour in the remaining soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms) I'm vegan and a lover of Japanese food, so this recipe was perfect. I found this helpful list to determine which sakes are vegan: https://www.barnivore.com/search?keyword=sake I purchased the first one from the list (Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Sake) and it tasted great. Got all the ingredients at Tokyo Central market in West Covina, CA. Great place to go if you live in the area. Upon tasting this dish, my Japanese roommate said I cook better than his mom. Hopefully that was a compliment to me and not just a slight to his mother! Thank you for this recipe - I'll definitely make it again.

By: Kamala Pati

Kamala Pati — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 19:31:00 +0000

I had a different version with kombucha and ginger too. It was fantastic. There really are no rules for the veggies. The old Japanese woman selling it, just said lots of root veggies

By: Lizzie Mabbott

Lizzie Mabbott — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:08:00 +0000

Having just started a 1 month long vegan diet, this is very helpful indeed!

By: Natika

Natika — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:36:00 +0000

I have several vegan and vegetarian friends who are always asking me to make them Japanese food and I have one friend who is allergic to onions. This will be a great idea to share with them. Thanks!

By: Marc Matsumoto

Marc Matsumoto — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Yep, shiso usually refers to Japanese Perilla. There are 2 types, red, and green. Red is usually used for pickling as it imparts a vibrant magenta color to anything acidic. The green type is used as a garnish and herb. Other asian countries such as Vietnam and Korea use Perilla as well, but theirs is a different variety with a distinct flavor. The only place I've found Japanese shiso in the US is at Japanese grocery stores such as Mitsuwa and Marukai, but some online specialty food stores like Marx Food, and Baldor have started selling micro shiso sprouts.

By: cjbollinger

cjbollinger — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:03:00 +0000

Hi Marc, in this recipe you use mitsuba ( which I've never used….yet!); are you familiar with shiso? I've been seeing being used a bit in France as a garnish. If you do know of it, do you know how to get some in the US? Thanks!

By: Marilia

Marilia — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 05:27:00 +0000

nourishing and delicious - I'm so intrigued as to how this is going to taste I'm going to have to make it when it gets a bit cooler! thank you 🙂