Instant Pot Tonjiru

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Cut the potatoes into ¼ inch (6 mm) thick slabs and then cut into sticks. Soak the potatoes in water to remove the starch, for about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Cut the onion into thin slices.

Step 4

Cut the daikon into ¼ inch (6 mm) thick slabs and then cut into sticks.

Step 5

Cut the carrot in half lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch (6 mm) thick slices.

Step 6

Scrape the gobo skin with the back of the knife. Gobo has a delicious earthy taste right below the skin; therefore, you do not use a peeler to peel off the soft skin. Cut the gobo in half lengthwise.

Step 7

Thinly slice gobo diagonally. Soak in water for 15 minutes to get rid of the bitter taste. Optional: add a dollop of vinegar to the water to make the gobo white.

Step 8

Cut the konnyaku into ¼ inch (6 mm) thick slabs, then cut into sticks.

Step 9

Blanch the konnyaku in boiling water for 3 minutes to remove the smell. Drain konnyaku with a sieve.

Step 10

Cut the pork belly slices into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick pieces. Tip: If you freeze the meat for about ½ hour ahead of time, it is much easier to cut.

Step 11

All ingredients should be ready to go.

Step 12

Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot and heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil.

Step 13

When the oil is hot, add the onion and coat with the oil. Then add the meat and stir to combine.

Step 14

Add all the vegetables and konnyaku.

Step 15

Stir to combine and then add in the dashi last.

Step 16

Dashi should cover the ingredients. The vegetables will release moisture so don’t worry if you feel the soup is not enough at this stage. If dashi is not covering the ingredients, add more dashi (or water).

Step 17

Press “Cancel” to stop the “Saute” menu. Close the lid and press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” menu. Then set HIGH pressure for 1 minute. Make sure the steam release handle points at “sealing” and not “venting”. The float valve goes up when pressurized.

Step 18

While the ingredients in the soup are being cooked, you can cut the green onions and set aside.

Step 19

When it’s finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the “Keep Warm” mode. Let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. If the valve hasn’t dropped yet, then quick release the air (be careful and cover your fingers with a mitten or kitchen towel).

Step 20

Open the lid and check if the hard vegetables are tender.

Step 21

Add miso. I used 8 Tbsp of Hikari Miso Enjuku Koji Miso.

Step 22

Dissolve the miso in a ladle before releasing it to the soup. Make sure to taste the miso soup. If you added too much miso, add dashi (or water) to dilute. If it’s not enough, add more miso ½ Tbsp at a time.

Step 23

Pour the Tonjiru in a big bowl and sprinkle some green onions. Serve immediately. You can sprinkle shichimi togarashi or add a dollop of yuzu kosho for a spicy kick.

Step 24

Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When you reheat, make sure not to over boil the miso soup. Tip: The best way to store miso soup is actually to store the soup BEFORE adding miso. You can take out the portion you will need into another pot and then add miso to taste. That way, you will always have the best tasting miso soup every time.