Kenchinjiru is a vegan, really filling and nutritious side dish soup made from Tofu and various vegetables, served in a brodo Dashi seasoned with soy sauce. This traditional dish has its roots in Buddhism and is also suitable for vegans! Today I’ll show you how to make this light vegetable soup with delicious ingredients at home!
It is the epitome of Japanese vegetable soups and was originally developed for Buddhist temple kitchens. It is a clear soup made with root vegetables, Tofu, konnyaku and plenty of mushrooms. Especially on cold autumn days, this meat-free soup will provide you with a balanced and flavourful meal, making it the ultimate stew!
You might not associate Japanese cuisine with vegetarian dishes, but some very traditional vegetarian dishes still exist today. This Kenchinjiru vegetable soup is now part of shojin ryori or traditional Buddhist temple cuisine, which consists of a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Kenchinjiru is served in many parts of Japan today, but it has been served at Kenchoji Temple for over 700 years. According to one theory, it spread throughout Japan when monks trained at Kenchoji Temple were sent to various regions of the country.
The recipe basically consists of a brodo Dashi and vegetables that are sautéed in a little sesame oil and then cooked in the broth. Whilst a fish-based brodo Dashi is usually used in Japanese cuisine, this Kenchinjiru soup uses Kombu and Shiitake mushrooms for the brodo Dashi to flavour the soup.
Brodo Dashi is a key flavour carrier, so I recommend making it from Kombu and dried Shiitake mushrooms. Here you can find my guide to making vegan Brodo Dashi!
Next up are the vegetables! Although you can use any vegetables for a Kenchinjiru, typical ingredients include various types of root vegetables.
In my opinion, carrots and daikon are key ingredients for adding flavour and texture to the soup. Both ingredients are readily available in supermarkets.
I also add silken tofu, konnyaku and aburaage to the soup – this makes it really satisfying and interesting, as you get a different ingredient on your spoon every time. This hearty soup can certainly have lots of flavours, just like a stew.
Tip: I cut the konnyaku using a glass or a small bowl. Unlike a knife, the rough cut increases the surface area, leading to a higher absorption rate and more flavour.
Finally, I opted for three types of mushroom: fresh Shimeji, enoki and Shiitake mushrooms. However, you can also replace these ingredients with something more readily available.
For example, the daikon can be replaced with another type of root vegetable such as radish or potato, the mushrooms with other varieties of your choice, and the aburaage and konnyaku can be omitted if necessary 😉.
This Japanese vegetable soup is served hot as a side dish. It goes very well with freshly cooked rice and some Teriyaki salmon.
I hope you have lots of success and fun cooking – if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to use the comments section below the recipe 😊. Let’s get started:
Kenchinjiru
serves 4 | 30 minutes | 312 kcal
🖨️ Print PDF 📌 Save pinKenchinjiru is a vegan, really filling and nutritious side dish soup made from Tofu and various vegetables, served in a brodo Dashi seasoned with soy sauce. This traditional dish has its roots in Buddhism and is also suitable for vegans! Today I’ll show you how to make this light vegetable soup with delicious ingredients at home!
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 l brodo Dashi (im Shop ansehen)* (to the recipe)
1 silken tofu (im Shop ansehen)*
1 konnyaku (konjac)
2 carrots
1/2 daikon radish
100 g Shimeji mushrooms
100 g Enoki mushrooms
3 Shiitake mushrooms (im Shop ansehen)*
2 spring onions
2 slices of aburaage (deep-fried Tofu)
1 tbsp sesame oil (im Shop ansehen)*
4 tbsp soy sauce (im Shop ansehen)*
2 tbsp Mirin (im Shop ansehen)*
2 tbsp Sake (im Shop ansehen)*
Useful tools:
Japanese Santoku knife (im Shop ansehen)
Fine-mesh sieve (im Shop ansehen)
Authentic soup bowl (im Shop ansehen)
Preparation (30 minutes)
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients for Kenchinjiru. The brodo Dashi made from Kombu and Shiitake should now be ready (click here for the recipe).
Passaggio 2
First of all, carefully wrap the silken tofu in kitchen paper and set aside for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring about 500 ml of water to the boil in a saucepan. Roughly cut the konnyaku into bite-sized pieces using a small bowl or a drinking glass. Then cook these pieces in the boiling water for 1 minute (this reduces the strong smell and prevents it from getting into the soup later).
Then drain through a sieve and leave to drain – please pour the water away.
Step 4
Next, we’ll prepare the vegetables. To do this, wash the carrots and slice them diagonally into pieces about 1 cm wide. Peel the daikon radish and cut it into 1 cm wide half-moons.
Step 5
Next, prepare the three types of mushrooms: remove the stems and roots from each and brush off any dirt. Separate the Shimeji and enoki slightly, and quarter the Shiitake with a knife.
Step 6
Now unwrap the silken tofu and cut it into 2cm cubes using a large, sharp knife.
Step 7 Step
Spring onions Wash under running water, drain and cut into wide rings (best done with a large knife; cut in half lengthways, place the halves together and slice into fine rings from the top down, removing the root end). Now cut the aburaage into thin strips.
Step 8
Now heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan. First, fry the prepared vegetables together with the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
Then add the konnyaku and pour over the brodo Dashi.
Step 9
Finally, add silken tofu and aburaage . Put the lid on the pan and simmer until the vegetables are tender. This will take about 10 minutes.
Tip: It’s best to skim off the rising foam from time to time using a fine-mesh sieve so that the soup remains nice and clear in the end.
Step 10
Shortly before the end of the cooking time, add the spring onions and season the soup with soya sauce, Sake and Mirin .
The soup is now ready. Ladle into bowls and serve. Done – Itadakimasu!
Are you looking for even more wonderful soup recipes from Japan? Here are a few ideas:
Misoshiru in a flash: basic recipe for miso soup with Wakame & Tofu
Miso soup is much more than just a side dish in Japan – it’s a warm embrace in a bowl!…
Make your own tonjiru: quick Miso soup with pork & root vegetables – hearty & warming
When the days get cooler and I need something to warm me from the inside, I love to make myself…
Have you tried the recipe? Let me know in the comments – I’m really looking forward to hearing from you.
