Japanese Kenchin Jiru Buddhist Root Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1 litre kombu dashi, prepared cold-infusion or simmered kombu stock
• 150 g gobo (burdock root), scrubbed, cut hyogiri — thin diagonal rounds; hold in cold water to prevent browning
• 200 g daikon, peeled, cut icho-giri — half-moon slices
• 150 g carrot, peeled, cut hyogiri — thin diagonal rounds
• 100 g renkon (lotus root), peeled, cut into bite-sized half-rounds; hold in cold water
• 100 g konnyaku, hand-torn into rough bite-sized pieces; blanched briefly in boiling water to remove lime odour, drained
• 200 g momen tofu (firm cotton tofu), hand-torn into rough bite-sized pieces
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in cold water until fully rehydrated, stems removed, caps sliced; soaking liquid reserved
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi), adjust to taste after simmering
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste after simmering
• Optional finish
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated; added in the final 2 minutes
• 2 tbsp white or mixed miso, dissolved in a little warm dashi before adding; home-version alternative to clear seasoning

Method

1. 1
   Blanch the hand-torn konnyaku pieces in briskly boiling unsalted water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. This removes the lime odour that would otherwise carry through the finished broth. The konnyaku will look unchanged; the test is smell — the sharp alkaline note should be gone.
2. 2
   Heat the sesame oil in a heavy-based soup pot over medium heat. Add the drained gobo, carrot, daikon, and renkon. Sauté, stirring steadily, until every cut surface is lightly glazed and fragrant — approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Do not reduce the heat prematurely: the objective is light caramelisation and full fat-coating of the vegetables, not steaming. Add the konnyaku, sliced shiitake, and torn tofu. Continue to sauté for a further 2 minutes. This step — sesame oil sauté before any liquid is added — is where the dish lives or dies: skipping it produces a flat, watery soup without the characteristic sesame richness and vegetable depth.
3. 3
   Pour the kombu dashi over the sautéed vegetables and tofu. Add the reserved shiitake soaking liquid, pouring carefully to leave any grit behind. Bring to a gentle simmer. Skim any surface foam that rises in the first few minutes. The broth should be clear and pale golden.
4. 4
   Simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes, until the root vegetables — gobo, daikon, carrot, renkon — are fully tender but still hold their cut shape. Press a piece of daikon with the back of a spoon: it should yield without dissolving. The broth will have deepened in colour and taken on the sweetness of the root vegetables.
5. 5
   Season with light soy sauce and fine salt. Taste before adding: the vegetables will have released considerable natural sweetness. Adjust incrementally — under-season initially and correct after simmering. For the miso version, dissolve white or mixed miso in a ladleful of warm broth, stir back into the pot, and do not allow to boil again. If using grated ginger, stir it in now and simmer for 2 minutes. The finished broth should be warm, balanced, and lightly sesame-fragrant — not aggressively seasoned.
6. 6
   Ladle into deep bowls in generous portions. The vegetables should be visible and individually distinct — gobo, daikon, carrot, renkon, konnyaku, tofu, shiitake all present. Serve immediately, hot, alongside plain steamed rice.