Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

In a large pot (I used a donabe), add dashi broth. If you are making dashi from scratch, here’s the direction. In this recipe, I show you how to make dashi using a dashi packet. Add water and a dashi packet in the donabe.

Step 3

Cover the lid and slowly bring water to boil on low heat. After a few minutes, open the lid and shake the bag to release more flavors.

Step 4

Close the lid and continue to heat the broth. Once boiling, cook for 3 minutes and discard the dashi packet. Keep the lid closed and set aside.

Step 5

Remove the excess fat from the chicken and cut it into small bite-sized pieces.

Step 6

Discard the tough stem of shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps.

Step 7

Cut the carrot into quarters lengthwise and thinly slice them.

Step 8

Cut the green onions into thin pieces and put them in a small bowl. We use them as a garnish at the end.

Step 9

If you’re using cold cooked rice, put it in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse the rice under running water to remove excess starch. Shake and drain well. If you’re using freshly made rice, you can skip this process.

Step 10

In a hot dashi broth, add the chicken.

Step 11

Close the lid and bring it to boil on medium-low heat. Once boiling, skim the scum and foam on the surface.

Step 12

Add the carrot and cook covered until tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 13

Once the carrot is tender, add soy sauce and salt to the broth.

Step 14

Add the shiitake mushrooms and well-drained cooked rice. Cover to cook for 10 minutes.

Step 15

Beat the egg in a bowl.

Step 16

Slowly drizzle a small amount of the beaten egg over the soup surface, which will create a fluffy texture.

Step 17

Add some of the green onion and sesame seeds. Sprinkle white pepper powder at the end.

Step 18

Cover with the lid and bring the pot to the table to serve into individual bowls.