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Noppe-jiru
Taro and vegetable soup
Noppe-jiru (のっぺい汁): Niigata's lightly thickened soup of taro, carrot, konnyaku and shiitake
Noppe-jiru is the everyday and festive soup of Niigata, cooked in big pots for New Year, the Obon holidays and winter family gatherings, and served hot or even cold the next day. Taro, carrot, konnyaku, shiitake and fried tofu are simmered in a soy-seasoned dashi, and the taro's own starch, helped by a little potato starch, gives it a soft, gentle thickness. Many homes use bonito or chicken; this is the vegetarian version with kombu-shiitake dashi. It is warming and earthy, with about 5 g of protein per portion from the fried tofu and shiitake. The usual mistake is skipping the salt rub on the taro, which leaves the broth sticky and gluey rather than silky. Chef's tip: cut all the vegetables to the same small size so every spoonful has a bit of everything.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetarian dashi
- 4 ¼ cups water
- ⅓ oz kombu
For the soup
- 10 ½ oz taro (satoimo)peeled and cut into 1.5 cm chunks
- 1 tsp saltfor rubbing the taro
- 1 carrotcut into 1 cm pieces
- 5 ½ oz daikoncut into 1 cm pieces
- 5 ½ oz konnyakutorn into small pieces
- 2 fried tofu pouches (aburaage)cut into short strips
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin-style seasoning (alcohol-free)or 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp potato starchmixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 ¾ oz mangetout or green beans (optional)sliced, for colour
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak ⅓ oz kombu and 4 dried shiitake mushrooms in 4 ¼ cups water for at least 30 minutes (not counted in the times). Heat gently and lift out the kombu just before it boils. Take out the shiitake, cut into small pieces and return them.
5 minStep 2: Rub 10 ½ oz taro (satoimo) with 1 tsp salt in a bowl for a minute, then rinse well under cold water. This removes the sticky surface slime.
Step 3: Put 5 ½ oz konnyaku in a small pan of boiling water for 2 minutes to take away its smell, then drain.
2 minStep 4: Add the taro, 1 carrot, 5 ½ oz daikon, konnyaku and 2 fried tofu pouches (aburaage) to the dashi. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15 minutes, until the taro is tender all the way through when pierced with a skewer.
15 minStep 5: Season with 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp mirin-style seasoning (alcohol-free) and simmer for 2 minutes. The broth should be pale amber and gently savoury.
2 minStep 6: Stir the 1 tbsp potato starch mixture, then pour it in while stirring. Simmer for 1 minute, until the broth turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon lightly. Add 1 ¾ oz mangetout or green beans for the last minute.
1 minStep 7: Serve hot, or let it cool and serve chilled the next day, as Niigata families do in summer.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does noppe-jiru take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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