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Vegan Vegetable Soup (Japanese Kenchin Jiru)

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Enjoy this warm Vegan Vegetable Soup (Kenchin Jiru) made with tofu and nutritious vegetables. It’s perfect for chilly days and is light, flavorful, and satisfying!

Looking for simple soups? Try my Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup, Wakame Miso Soup, or Vegan Barley Soup!

Japanese vegan vegetable soup served in a bowl.

I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe 

  • This vegan vegetable soup is a nourishing dish with various vegetables and tofu.
  • A hearty and warming bowl that’s perfect for cozying up during cold weather.
  • Brings authentic Japanese flavors to your table in a simple, vegan way.

Kenchin Jiru

Kenchin Jiru is a traditional plant-based soup from Shojin Ryori, a Japanese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. This healthy soup is made with various root vegetables stir-fried in sesame oil and simmered in a savory stock.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Vegan Vegetable Soup:

Vegagn vegetable soup ingredients.
  • Vegetables: Taro, daikon radish, carrot, burdock root (gobo), and shiitake mushrooms form the base of this soup. You can add potatoes or other vegetables like sweet potatoes or turnips for variety. Adding leafy greens such as spinach bring a pop of color to the dish.
  • Tofu: Both firm and silky tofu work well. I use firm tofu in this recipe.
  • Dashi Powder: This recipe uses kombu dashi powder for a mild, plant-based umami. Substitute with vegetable stock or homemade dashi made from kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms if unavailable.
  • Soy sauce and sake enhance the soup’s depth of flavor.

How To Make Vegan Vegetable Soup: STEP BY STEP 

Here are some quick visual instructions! The video, detailed ingredients, and instructions are on the printable recipe card below.

How to make vegan vegetable soup.

Step 1

Peel, chop, and prepare all vegetables and tofu.

How to make vegan vegetable soup.

Step 2

Heat sesame oil and sauté the vegetables until lightly coated.

How to make vegan vegetable soup.

Step 3

Pour in water, add seasonings, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

How to make vegan vegetable soup.

Step 4

Add tofu and let the soup simmer for another minute before serving.

Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped scallions. Enjoy this cozy and nutritious soup for chilly days!

Recipe Tips

  • Stir fry the vegetables in sesame oil enhances their aroma and adds depth to the soup.
  • Taste the soup before serving and adjust the soy sauce to your preference.
  • If you enjoy a spicy kick, add Japanese chili spice (shichimi) on top!

What To Serve With

To complement this vegan vegetable soup, I recommend serving it with chahan (fried rice), agedashi tofu, and napa cabbage slaw!

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Japanese vegan vegetable soup served in a bowl.

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Japanese vegan vegetable soup served in a bowl.

Vegan Vegetable Soup (Japanese Kenchin Jiru)

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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Juri Austin
Enjoy this warm Vegan Vegetable Soup (Kenchin Jiru) made with tofu and nutritious vegetables. It's perfect for chilly days and is light, flavorful, and satisfying!

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan

Ingredients

  • 3 Taro, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ⅛ Daikon Radish, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ Carrot, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ Burdock Root, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
  • 2 Shiitake Mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • ½ Konnyaku, thinly sliced
  • ½ block Tofu, cut into small cubes
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
  • Scallion, chopped, as needed for garnish

For The Soup

Instructions

  • Preparation: Peel the taro, daikon radish, and carrot, then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Scrape the skin off the burdock root, slice it thinly on the diagonal, and soak the slices in water for 5 minutes to remove bitterness. Slice the shiitake mushrooms and konnyaku into thin pieces. Cut the tofu into small cubes.
  • Sauté Vegetables: Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the taro, daikon, carrot, burdock root, shiitake mushrooms, and konnyaku. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until the ingredients are lightly coated in oil.
  • Simmer: Pour in water and add dashi powder, sake, and soy sauce. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Finish the Soup: Gently stir in the tofu cubes and let the soup simmer for another minute. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped scallions.

Notes

  • Stir-frying the vegetables in sesame oil enhances their aroma and adds depth to the soup.
  • Taste the soup before serving and adjust the soy sauce to your preference.
  • If you enjoy a spicy kick, add Japanese chili spice (shichimi) on top!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: vegan vegetable soup
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2 Comments

  1. Hello Juri, I truly appreciate your vegan recipes! It’s hard for me to get burdock root, though – is there a substitute for it? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your comment, Jin! There’s no direct substitute for this unique vegetable, so you can omit it. Instead, you can increase the amount of carrots or shiitake mushrooms to balance the dish.

      Reply