Zoni - Traditional Japanese Soup

Ingredients

Spinach

1 cup, fresh

Green onions

2, finely chopped

Shiitake mushrooms

4, fresh or dried

Carrot

1 medium, peeled and sliced

Daikon radish

1/2 medium, peeled and sliced

Sugar

1 teaspoon

Mirin

2 tablespoons

Soy sauce

2 tablespoons

Chicken broth

4 cups

Mochi rice cakes

8

Instructions

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until well combined.
3. Add the daikon radish, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. While the soup is simmering, blanch the spinach in a separate pot of boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
5. Toast the mochi rice cakes on a grill or in a toaster oven until they puff up and become slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Place a few toasted mochi rice cakes in each serving bowl. Ladle the hot soup over the rice cakes, ensuring to distribute the vegetables evenly.
7. Garnish each bowl with the blanched spinach and chopped green onions. Serve immediately while hot.