I don’t think there’s anything more comforting than a piping hot, delicious bowl of soup. And let me tell you, these flavorful Japanese soups are the cream of the crop. I love Japanese food, but if there is one thing they do really well, it’s soup. The Japanese have perfected the art of soup. Their recipes are healthy, delicious, and so comforting. There’s ramen, udon, nabemono, and so much more! While some have meat or noodles, and some have dumplings, you’ll notice a few commonalities. First, Japanese soups always have a rich and flavorful broth. Second, they’re filling and healthy. And finally, they are perfectly slurp-able! So, if all of that sounds good to you, then keep reading. I’ve compiled 20 of my absolute favorite Japanese soups for you to try. You’ll love them!
1. Quick Shabu Shabu
Shabu shabu is a popular type of Japanese hot pot soup. If you’ve never had hot pot, it’s the ultimate customizable soup experience. Hot pot is literally a pot filled with boiling broth. It sits smack dab in the middle of your table on a portable cooking plate. This way, everything cooks in front of you and you eat as you go. This shabu shabu features all of the traditional ingredients, and it’s ready in 10 minutes. It has a tasty dashi broth, lots of veggies, tofu, and thinly sliced meats. You simply add everything in small batches to your broth and eat it family-style. Hard veggies go in first, then the softer ones. Finally, you cook the meat as you’re ready to eat it. When it’s ready, dip the meats and veggies in delicious sauces.
2. Okinawa Soba
If you’re looking for a delicious, umami-laden meal, this Okinawa soba is the answer. It’s salty, sour, meaty, and utterly fantastic. It’s a little time-consuming to make, but the end result is so worth it. The pork dashi broth is intensely rich. The soba noodles are chewy and well-flavored. It’s topped with sweet-savory pork belly, slices of fish cake, green onions, and pickled ginger.
3. Nabeyaki Udon
Nabeyaki udon seems like its creator just threw everything in their kitchen into a soup. And somehow it worked. This tasty soup features udon noodles, chicken thighs, fish cake, leeks, eggs, and spinach. All of that is served in a flavorful broth made with dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. And then you add toppings! You can add mochi, meat, more veggies, tempura, or anything else you like! It’s delicious, tangy, sweet, savory, and flavorful.
4. Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)
Although all Japanese soups are delicious, there’s a reason that miso soup is so popular. The funky, sweet, salty, umami flavor of miso makes amazing soup. Tonjiru features miso broth, pork belly, and several root vegetables like daikon and carrot. This recipe also uses ginger, sesame oil, tofu, and Japanese seven-spice. The result is a warm, flavorful, hearty, and perfectly comforting soup.
5. Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is a type of Japanese hot pot soup. And like any other hot pot meal, sukiyaki is an event. It’s rounds and rounds of cooking and eating, probably until you’re too full. This soup features beef, mushrooms, tofu, cabbage, and other veggies. It has a special flavorful sauce that combines with dashi and water to make broth. It’s salty, sweet, and bursting with umami.
6. Japanese Clear Soup
Japanese clear soup is a light broth that is as simple as it is delicious. There are several different recipes, but this one guarantees a tasty result. This recipe uses chicken and beef broth plus caramelized veggies to create this delicious soup. When it’s ready, you simply skim out the veggies, add garnishes, and enjoy!
7. Homemade Miso Soup
Miso is delicious and nutritious, and it’s integral to Japanese soups. The best part is that it’s super customizable. You start with a simple, tasty base of miso paste, dashi, and veggies. But from there? The world is your oyster! You can even add oysters to your soup.
8. Japanese Enoki and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
This simple mushroom soup is light in flavor and feel but totally scrumptious. You can certainly bulk it up with noodles and meat but it’s meant to be light. With flavors like mushroom, sake, and soy sauce, it’s the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
9. Kenchinjiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup)
If you need to serve many guests, this is the perfect soup to make. It’s super yummy and vegan, so everyone can enjoy it. The soup is made with a simple mushroom broth and lots of hearty root vegetables. This recipe adds tofu for protein and lots of spices for extra heat and deliciousness.
10. Corn Potage
I liken this fantastic soup to the gazpacho of Japan. It’s creamy, can be served cold or warm, and it’s absolutely slurp-tastic. Also, it only requires two ingredients and 20 minutes, so it’s even better. You only need some cooked corn, soy milk, and a blender. It’s super easy! Simply blend the corn and milk until smooth. Then, pour it through a strainer to remove any chewy bits. Serve it cold, room temperature, or warm. If you’re not vegan, feel free to use milk or cream.
11. Shio Ramen
Shio means salt in Japanese, and this delicious ramen lives up to that name. This soup is salty in the best way. It’s also full of yummy toppings. It has ramen noodles, miso egg, fish cake, braised pork, bamboo shoots, and scallions. Everyone will love it.
12. Awase Dashi (Japanese Soup Stock)
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that most of these recipes include dashi. And there’s a reason for that. It’s delicious and it adds so much umami. It is also quintessentially Japanese. Awase Dashi is a seafood stock made with kelp, dried bonito flakes, and water. It’s not super fishy but it does add a ton of flavor.
13. Beef Udon (Niku Udon)
If you want a deliciously meaty and hearty dinner, look no further than this soup. This beef udon is intensely flavorful, with notes of sweet, salty, and tangy. This soup features thinly sliced beef, udon noodles, long onion, and dashi. You can top it with veggies, fish cakes, herbs, and more! You’ll love every sip, bite, and slurp.
14. Gyoza Nabe (Japanese Dumpling Hot Pot)
This gyoza nabe may become your go-to Japanese recipe. It’s Sso delicious. The prep work is a little time-consuming, but you won’t regret putting in the effort. The fresh pork dumplings are so delicious and worth every second of preparation. The broth is rich and tantalizing, flavored with dashi and sake. It’s hearty with a myriad of veggies. Plus, this dish has the added fun of being a hot pot meal. So, it’s kind of like you get to play with your food.
15. Ozoni (Japanese New Year Mochi Soup) -Kanto Style お雑煮
In Japanese culture, traditions are very important. And ozoni is a huge part of the Japanese New Year tradition. It’s helpful that it’s also incredibly tasty. The key flavors you’ll notice are umami-laden dashi, bright yuzu lemon, and robust greens. Chicken thighs add tons of flavor and protein. If that were the end of it, I’d still be happy. The really special thing is the roasted mochi. It’s chewy, sweet, and absolutely fantastic with the other ingredients.
16. Tonkotsu Ramen Broth
The key to really good ramen is really good broth. And the key to really good broth is pork bones, mushrooms, onions, water, and time, 12 hours, to be exact. It’s passive time, but you definitely want to make this when you’re home all day. Your tastebuds will thank you for your efforts.
17. Kitsune Udon
Kitsune udon is your classic udon. It features dashi broth, udon noodles, fried tofu, and those adorable little pink-swirled fish cakes. It’s an iconic Japanese soup that you’ll love.
18. Cold Nyūmen (Sōmen Noodle Soup)
In just 5 minutes, this light and refreshing noodle soup is ready to serve. You only need four ingredients for the main soup and whatever toppings you like. And yes, it’s served cold.
19. Japanese Chicken Soup
This soup is simple but definitely good for the soul. And it’s literally just chicken soup. It features a broth of dashi, sake, and soy sauce. You cook slices of chicken thigh right in the broth, which adds even more flavor. Finally, top it with green onions and enjoy!
20. Mille-Feuille Nabe
Like the classic French dessert, this Japanese hot pot features layers upon layers of deliciousness. Rather than pastry and cream, this soup layers cabbage and pork. It’s cooked in a broth made with dashi, soy sauce, and sake, with ginger. It’s mouthwatering. Click on a star to rate it!
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