Kenchinjiru (けんちん汁) Japanese Vegetable Soup
For many people, miso soup is the first Japanese soup to come to mind, but the harsh winter weather in Japan has created a culinary culture brimming with soul-warming soups and stews. Kenchinjiru (けんちん汁) is a plant-based hearty soup that’s loaded with root vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu, making it a healthy food for fighting off winter’s chill.
Like most traditional Japanese dishes, there are a couple of creation myths behind this vegetarian soup. The most common one is that Kenchinjiru started as a type of Shōjin Ryōri created by monks at the Zen Buddhist temple Kenchō-ji (建長寺). The name Kenchō-ji-jiru (literally Kenchō temple soup) is thought to have been corrupted over the years, becoming Kenchinjiru.
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- 📖 Recipe
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Why My Recipe Works
- Starting with a flavor-packed plant-base stock ensures that every bite of this comforting soup is well seasoned.
- Tofu adds vegan-friendly protein, and it acts like a sponge that absorbs the flavorful broth.
- Using a variety of vegetables keeps this kenchinjiru flexible enough to become a fridge clean-out meal, but it can also accommodate any interesting finds you discover shopping. Feel free, however, to follow the recipe as written. It’s delicious!
Ingredients
- Vegan dashi stock - Dashi simply means “soup stock” in Japanese, referring to plant-based and non-plant-based stocks . That being said, the most common stock in Japan is made with fish, so if you’re vegan, it’s important to check and see if the dashi being used is vegetarian dashi or not. The broth for this Kenchinjiru uses a shiitake mushroom and konbu (kelp, also spelled “kombu”) based stock, making it vegan-friendly . This easy stock can be used for other Japanese classics like Kabocha Nimono , Agedashi Tofu , and Udon .
- Tofu - I use firm tofu in my Kenchinjiru because I prefer the hearty texture it provides, but you can use any firmness of tofu that you like; just remember that softer tofu (like silken tofu) will break up more easily in the soup.
- Vegetables - There is no hard and fast list of vegetables added to Kenchinjiru, but it traditionally includes carrots, burdock (gobo), daikon, and taro root. I also like to add edamame, which not only adds a pop of color but also boosts protein content and the umami of the soup. That being said, it’s a flexible dish, and you can add 400-500 grams (about a pound) of almost any combination of vegetables you like. Some ideas include winter squashes like butternut or kabocha; root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or turnips, or even brassicas like Brussels sprouts or broccoli. The one thing you should take into consideration is how long the vegetables will take to cook. Then, you can cut them accordingly (slower cooking in smaller pieces, faster cooking in larger pieces) or add them at different times so that all the vegetables are tender around the same time. If you use vegetables that tend to oxidize, like burdock root, be sure to soak them in acidified water (water with lemon or vinegar) to keep them from discoloring.
How to Make Kenchinjiru
Once you have the process down, this is one of those dishes where you don’t need a recipe. In broad strokes, the method includes making the stock, sautéing the aromatic vegetables, seasoning and simmering the soup, and finishing it off with tofu and garnishes.
For the stock, I make my plant-based dashi with dried shiitake mushrooms and konbu, but you can use a different dried mushroom and kelp if you like. Technically, it’s better to cold-brew the stock using cold water and let it soak overnight in the fridge. This will give you the cleanest taste, but most of us don’t have time for that. You can cheat and boil the water you steep the ingredients in, which will reduce the soaking time to about 30 minutes (less if your mushrooms are small).
While the stock is steeping, I usually use this time to chop and prep the rest of the vegetables. Then, I sauté the aromatic vegetables in oil to bring out their sweetness and aroma. I also usually add a bit of brown sugar at this stage, which helps with caramelization.
Then the stock goes in, and the Kenchinjiru gets seasoned with soy sauce and salt. I usually use both because I want the soy sauce’s taste balanced with the vegetables’ delicate flavor. You can also season it with miso if you like.
Gently boil the vegetables in the dashi until they’re tender, then finish the soup by adding the tofu and edamame and garnishing it with mitsuba, a Japanese herb. You could substitute green onions if your diet permits. Chili peppers are another ingredient forbidden in a strict Buddhist diet, but I love the fragrance that a dash of shichimi togarashi adds.
How to Serve Kenchinjiru
This Japanese vegetable soup is essentially a complete meal, but for heartier appetites, a bowl of Japanese short-grain rice is always welcome anytime, and pickles like tsukemono add a salty, crunchy bite.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 30 grams dried shiitake mushrooms 3 large mushrooms
- 8 grams konbu
- 3 ½ cups water (boiling)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 140 grams carrots peeled, sliced
- 70 grams gobo burdock root, peeled, shaved
- 140 grams daikon peeled, sliced
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sake
- 140 grams Japanese taro peeled, chopped
- 300 grams firm tofu squeezed and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 grams shelled edamame
- mitsuba optional garnish
Instructions
- Lightly rinse the 30 grams dried shiitake mushrooms to remove dust or dirt and put them in a bowl along with the 8 grams konbu and the boiling 3 ½ cups water . Let these rehydrate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the other vegetables while you wait for the mushrooms to rehydrate.
- When the shiitake have rehydrated, squeeze the extra liquid out of them, and reserve the liquid. Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms and chop up the caps. Discard the konbu .
- Add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sauté the 140 grams carrots , 70 grams gobo , and 140 grams daikon along with the 1 teaspoon brown sugar until they are fragrant (about 5 minutes).
- Add the ⅓ cup sake and then allow the alcohol to burn off before proceeding.
- Add the reserved shiitake dashi broth into the pot, but don’t pour in the sediment at the bottom of the bowl, as it may contain some grit.
- Add the 140 grams Japanese taro , 2 tablespoons soy sauce , and 1 teaspoon salt , and let the Kenchinjiru simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup is flavorful (about 20-30 minutes).
- Finish the soup by adding the 300 grams firm tofu and 100 grams shelled edamame during the last few minutes of cooking. Adjust the salt to taste and sprinkle with mitsuba , or other garnishes like green onions, sesame seeds, or shichimi togarashi.
Nutrition Facts
Kenchinjiru is a 4-syllable name pronounced as follows (read the italicized parts). " ken " as in ken tucky " chin " as in chin os (the men’s pants) " ji " as in jee p " ru " the " ru " sound does not exist in the English language, and the best way to make it is to say the word " ru se" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth.
Kenchinjiru (けんちん汁) literally translates to “Kenchō temple soup” in English. The name reflects its historical association with the Kenchō-ji temple, where it is believed to have originated as a type of Shōjin Ryōri (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine). Over time, the name has evolved, simplifying to Kenchinjiru.
Shōjin Ryōri(精進料理) is a plant-based sub-genre of Japanese cuisine developed by Buddhist monks. Unlike the traditional Japanese diet, which includes a lot of fish, Buddhist temple cuisine is plant-based. It also avoids using ingredients that are said to stir emotion, such as chili peppers, onions, and garlic. Kenchinjiru is probably the most famous example of Shōjin Ryōri, thanks to its widespread adoption as a healthy meal.
Onions are a delicious addition if you don’t follow a strict Buddhist diet. However, devout Buddhists believe that members of the allium family incite anger and sexual mischief. Since that would disturb the mental clarity that Buddhists seek to attain, onions, scallions, and garlic are forbidden in a Buddhist diet. I can’t say that eating onions has ever left me feeling randy, but I can say with some certainty that onion breath would put a damper on your chances for finding a partner to engage in lustful acts with!
Kenchinjiru
Equipment
- Heavy Bottomed Pot
- Medium Glass Bowl
- Spoonula
Ingredients
- 30 grams dried shiitake mushrooms 3 large mushrooms
- 8 grams konbu
- 3 ½ cups water (boiling)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 140 grams carrots peeled, sliced
- 70 grams gobo burdock root, peeled, shaved
- 140 grams daikon peeled, sliced
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sake
- 140 grams Japanese taro peeled, chopped
- 300 grams firm tofu squeezed and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 grams shelled edamame
- mitsuba optional garnish
Instructions
- Lightly rinse the 30 grams dried shiitake mushrooms to remove dust or dirt and put them in a bowl along with the 8 grams konbu and the boiling 3 ½ cups water . Let these rehydrate for 30 minutes. 30 grams dried shiitake mushrooms, 8 grams konbu , 3 ½ cups water
- Prepare the other vegetables while you wait for the mushrooms to rehydrate.
- When the shiitake have rehydrated, squeeze the extra liquid out of them, and reserve the liquid. Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms and chop up the caps. Discard the konbu .
- Add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sauté the 140 grams carrots , 70 grams gobo , and 140 grams daikon along with the 1 teaspoon brown sugar until they are fragrant (about 5 minutes). 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 140 grams carrots, 70 grams gobo, 140 grams daikon, 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Add the ⅓ cup sake and then allow the alcohol to burn off before proceeding. ⅓ cup sake
- Add the reserved shiitake dashi broth into the pot, but don’t pour in the sediment at the bottom of the bowl, as it may contain some grit.
- Add the 140 grams Japanese taro , 2 tablespoons soy sauce , and 1 teaspoon salt , and let the Kenchinjiru simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup is flavorful (about 20-30 minutes). 140 grams Japanese taro, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt
- Finish the soup by adding the 300 grams firm tofu and 100 grams shelled edamame during the last few minutes of cooking. Adjust the salt to taste and sprinkle with mitsuba , or other garnishes like green onions, sesame seeds, or shichimi togarashi. 300 grams firm tofu, 100 grams shelled edamame, mitsuba
