A hearty miso soup bowl with tender pork shoulder, root vegetables, and rice — Japan's answer to a one-bowl comfort meal.
Buta jiru, or tonjiru, is a thick, hearty miso soup built around thin-sliced pork and root vegetables — a dish that goes far beyond the delicate miso soup served alongside sushi and functions instead as a full meal in Japanese homes, especially in colder months. It's traditionally served with a bowl of rice on the side, and this recipe leans into that by serving it as a rice bowl, ladling the soup generously over short-grain rice. The technique that defines good buta jiru is building layers: aromatics and pork are browned first to render fat and develop flavor, root vegetables like daikon and carrot are simmered until tender but not falling apart, and miso is whisked in only at the very end off direct heat, which preserves its aroma and keeps the broth from turning bitter. What results is a substantial, warming bowl — savory pork, sweet root vegetables, and a deeply savory miso broth soaked into a mound of rice, finished with sharp scallions for contrast.
Serves 4
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add pork slices and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but not fully cooked through.
Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot and cook 3-4 minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent.
Add daikon, carrot, and potato along with dashi. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 18-20 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender.
Turn off the heat. Ladle a bit of hot broth into a small bowl, whisk in the miso until smooth, then stir the miso mixture back into the pot.
Never boil the soup after the miso goes in — high heat destroys the fermented flavor and aroma miso is prized for, turning the broth flat and slightly bitter.
Divide rice among four deep bowls. Ladle the hot pork and vegetable miso soup generously over the rice, drizzle with sesame oil, and top with scallions. Serve immediately while hot.
Slice the pork shoulder thin, against the grain, so it cooks quickly and stays tender rather than chewy.
Cut vegetables to similar sizes so daikon, carrot, and potato finish cooking at roughly the same time.
Taste before adding all the miso — brands vary widely in saltiness, so start with 3 tablespoons and add more to taste.
Swap pork for thinly sliced chicken thigh for a lighter version of the soup.
Add a handful of sliced burdock root (gobo) with the other vegetables for extra earthiness, a common traditional addition.
Make it vegetarian using a kombu-shiitake dashi and cubed firm tofu in place of pork.
Refrigerate soup (without rice) up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove without boiling, and cook or reheat rice separately just before serving.
Tonjiru, meaning pork soup, developed as a hearty regional variation of standard miso soup, believed to have roots in Hokkaido's colder climate where a more substantial, calorie-dense soup was needed. It remains a common lunch counter and home-cooking dish across Japan, often paired with a simple bowl of rice and pickles.
Yes, pork belly gives a richer, fattier broth and is a traditional choice for tonjiru — just render it a bit longer in step one so excess fat cooks off before adding the vegetables.
This almost always happens when the soup boils after the miso is added — miso should only be whisked in once the pot is off the heat or at a very gentle simmer at most.
The soup base (before adding miso) can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat gently and whisk in fresh miso just before serving for the best flavor and aroma.
Per serving (480g / 16.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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