Japanese-style daikon soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3
 
Ingredients
  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • ¼ lb ground pork
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled
  • 1 small taro root (satoimo/さといも), peeled
  • 4-5 inch-long daikon (Japanese radish), peeled
  • Optional 6 inch-long piece burdock root (gobou/ごぼう), peeled
  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned (about 1 tbsp)
  • Optional 4-5 shiitake mushrooms
  • 1½ tbsp ago-dashi powder (about half a packet; see note above)
  • 1 scallion
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Peel and wash the carrot, taro, daikon, and (if using) burdock root. Dice carrots into 1 inch rectangular slices, cut taro root into ¼ inch-thick bite-sized pieces, and slice daikon into ¼ inch-thick rounds and then cut the rounds in half.
  2. Wash the shiitake mushrooms, cut off the stems, and slice thinly.
  3. Dice the scallion.
  4. Once the vegetables are prepped, heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium heat and fry pork until cooked. Make sure to break the pork up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  5. Add the carrots, taro, daikon, and (optionally) shiitake and burdock root. Mix and stir fry for 5 min.
  6. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the dashi and ginger (reserving some for garnish if you like), cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked (but not too soft).
  7. Add a pinch of ground black pepper and stir. Taste for salt. (The dashi is a bit salty so you probably won't need more than a pinch or two if at all.)
  8. Serve in a bowl garnished with the scallions and (optionally) ginger.
Recipe by Oishii Rasoi at https://www.oishiirasoi.com/japanese-style-daikon-soup/