Japanese Pork Soup (Tonjiru): A Hearty Miso Recipe

Japanese pork soup, or tonjiru, is a home-style miso soup with pork, root vegetables, and savory dashi broth. Its comforting depth comes from browning the pork and simmering the vegetables until tender; ingredients vary from household to household, so the recipe is easy to adapt.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil (5 ml), such as canola oil
12 ounces thinly sliced pork belly or pork shoulder (340 g), cut into bite-size pieces if needed
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (6 g)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced, about 6 ounces (170 g)
1 medium carrot, cut into thin half-moons, about 5 ounces (140 g)
8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into thin half-moons (225 g)
8 ounces potato, scrubbed or peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces (225 g)
½ block konnyaku, rinsed and cut into bite-size pieces, about 4 ounces (115 g); see the substitution note if unavailable
4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced, about 3 ounces (85 g)
8 cups water (1.9 L)
2 teaspoons instant dashi granules (about 6 g), or the amount specified on the package for 8 cups (1.9 L) of broth
⅓ cup miso paste (about 85 g), white, red, or a blend
1 tablespoon soy sauce (15 ml)
1 tablespoon mirin (15 ml)
2 scallions, thinly sliced, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients, about 25 minutes. Rinse the konnyaku under cool water, drain it, and cut it into small, easy-to-eat pieces. Slice the onion, carrot, daikon, and mushrooms, and cut the potato into even chunks so it cooks at a similar rate. Keep the pork chilled until you are ready to cook, and wash your hands and any utensils that touched it before handling the vegetables or serving ingredients.
Brown the pork, 4 minutes. Set a large, heavy pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the pork in an even layer, working in batches if the pot is crowded. Cook, turning and separating the slices, until they lose their raw appearance and pick up a little color. Stir in the ginger for the final 30 seconds. The pork does not need to be fully cooked at this stage; it will finish in the soup.
Start the vegetables, 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, daikon, potato, konnyaku, and shiitake. Stir to coat them in the pork drippings and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often. This brief sauté gives the vegetables a little flavor before they simmer. If the bottom of the pot looks dry, add a tablespoon or two of the measured water rather than extra oil.
Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Pour in the remaining water and stir in the dashi granules. Bring the soup just to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Partly cover the pot and cook until the daikon and potato are easily pierced with a fork, usually about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and check that the pork is cooked through. For whole-cut pork, the USDA FSIS safe minimum is 145°F (63°C), checked with a food thermometer, followed by a 3-minute rest. Check a thick piece or several folded slices rather than relying on color alone.
Season with miso and finish, 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 3 minutes to complete the pork’s rest. Put the miso in a ladle or small bowl, add a little hot broth, and stir until smooth; mix it back into the pot. Add the soy sauce and mirin, then warm the soup gently for about 4 minutes without letting it boil. Taste before adding anything else, since miso and dashi can both be salty. Serve hot with scallions.

Tips

Choose the cut for the texture you want. Pork belly makes the broth richer and stays tender during simmering. Thinly sliced shoulder is a leaner option with a meatier bite. If your pork slices are unusually thick, cut them smaller so they cook evenly with the vegetables.
Use the miso you can find. White miso is mild and slightly sweet; red miso is more assertive and salty. A blend is a good middle ground. Miso varies by brand, so begin with the listed amount and adjust only after tasting. Dissolving it separately helps prevent lumps.
Know what konnyaku does. This springy Japanese yam cake adds a distinctive chewy texture, not much flavor. It is sold in blocks at many Japanese or other East Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, omit it or replace it with extra mushrooms; the soup will lose that pleasantly bouncy texture but still taste balanced.
Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can break up the potato and make the broth cloudy, while boiling after adding miso dulls its fresh aroma. If the soup thickens as it stands, loosen it with a splash of water or dashi when reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve tonjiru in individual bowls while it is hot, making sure each portion gets pork, several kinds of vegetables, and broth. Steamed Japanese short-grain rice is the classic, simple partner and makes the soup a satisfying meal. A small bowl of rice alongside is also useful for balancing the savory broth without adding more seasoning.

For a fuller spread, pair the soup with pickled vegetables, a cucumber salad, or a modest side of greens dressed with sesame. The soup is substantial, so rich or heavily seasoned sides are not necessary. Put extra scallions on the table for anyone who wants a fresher finish. If serving it as part of a larger meal, smaller bowls work well as a warm first course.

Variations

Tonjiru is flexible, and the vegetables often depend on what is available. Burdock root, known as gobo, is a traditional choice with an earthy flavor; peel or scrape it, slice it thinly, and add it with the other firm vegetables. Taro can replace some or all of the potato for a softer, slightly sticky texture. If burdock is difficult to find, extra carrot or daikon is a practical substitute, though the soup will be less earthy.

For a mushroom-forward pot, use a mixture of shiitake, oyster, or shimeji mushrooms in place of some of the root vegetables. For a milder, lighter bowl, use pork shoulder and white miso; for a deeper flavor, use pork belly and red miso or a red-and-white blend. If you do not have instant dashi granules, use 8 cups (1.9 L) prepared dashi made from kombu and dried shiitake, following the package or ingredient directions. A simple kombu broth also works, but it will have less of the savory seafood note found in some dashi. Check dashi labels if avoiding fish, and check miso and soy sauce labels if avoiding wheat or gluten.

You can add a handful of napa cabbage or sliced green cabbage during the last 5 to 8 minutes of simmering, until tender. For a more filling variation, add cubed firm tofu near the end and heat it through gently. Keep the total amount of vegetables close to the recipe’s amount so the broth still seasons everything well; if you add a lot more, add extra water and adjust the miso after tasting.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking in a covered, shallow container. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The vegetables will continue to soften, and the broth may taste a little saltier after sitting, so add a splash of water before reheating if needed.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming throughout and at least 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS temperature for reheated leftovers. Avoid a prolonged boil, which can break down the vegetables and flatten the miso flavor. You can freeze the soup in airtight freezer containers for about 2 to 3 months, but potatoes may become grainy or crumbly after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat as above; adding a little fresh miso after warming can brighten the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does tonjiru mean?

Tonjiru is the Japanese name commonly used for pork miso soup; it is also sometimes called butajiru. It is a familiar home-style dish rather than one fixed formula. Pork, miso, and broth are the defining idea, while the vegetables and their proportions vary by cook and region.

Can I make Japanese pork soup without dashi?

Yes. Prepared kombu broth or a kombu-and-shiitake broth can stand in for dashi granules. The result will be savory but may lack the fish-based depth of some dashi. Plain water works in a pinch, especially with flavorful pork and mushrooms, but the soup will taste simpler; taste it before deciding whether it needs a little more miso.

Can I use a different kind of miso?

Yes. White, red, and mixed miso all work. White miso tends to be milder and sweeter, while red miso is stronger and saltier, so the same volume can produce different results. Start with the recipe amount, dissolve it into the broth, and taste before adding more. If your miso is particularly salty, you may want less soy sauce.

How can I tell when the vegetables are done?

Test the thickest daikon and potato pieces with a fork or the tip of a small knife. They should be tender enough to pierce without falling apart. If they are still firm after 20 minutes, keep the soup at a gentle simmer and check again every few minutes. Cutting the vegetables to similar sizes helps them finish together.

Can I prepare tonjiru ahead?

Yes. You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it promptly; the flavors meld as it rests, though the vegetables soften further. Reheat it to 165°F (74°C), then taste and adjust with water or a little miso if needed. For the freshest texture, slice the scallions just before serving and keep them out of the stored soup.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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