Miso Soup with Bacon(Tonjiru)
・1.5l water
・150g bacon (4 slices)
・Vegetables A［100g potatoes, 100g carrots, 100g savoy cabbage］
・Vegetables B［100g leeks, 100g celery］
・120g miso paste
・A pinch of powered bonito stock (optional)
・20g butter
“Tonjiru” or pork soup, is a popular type of miso soup, made with pork and a variety of vegetables.
Here, we have created an East-meets-West spin on the classic Japanese tonjiru, using bacon and vegetables readily available in the UK. A miso soup base consists of a combination of miso paste and soup stock.Traditionally, a kombu (dried kelp) or bonito fish stock is used, but if these are not available, you can substitute them with chicken stock.
How to make it
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Cut the bacon width-wise into 1cm pieces. Peel the potatoes and carrots, dice into small bite-size pieces. Remove the stem of the cabbage and chop the leaves into 1-2cm wide strips. Finely chop the celery.
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Pour the water into a deep-sided soup pan, and bring to the boil. Add the bacon and skim off the foam.
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Add Vegetables A to the soup pan and bring to the boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Add Vegetables B and simmer for another 10 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and add the miso paste. However, rather than stirring it directly into the broth, scoop it into a ladle first, and dip the ladle into the broth. Use a spoon to gradually incorporate the miso paste from the ladle into the broth until it has dissolved evenly.
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Turn on the heat again, and season the broth to taste with the bonito soup stock powder. Warm up to a simmer on a medium heat taking care not to let it boil. Turn off the heat, and stir in the butter before serving.