Shojin (v) Recipe

Soak kombu and shiitake

Wipe kombu with a damp cloth (do not rinse vigorously). Place kombu and dried shiitake in a medium pot with 1.8 L cold water. Thinly slice the ginger (no need to grate). Let soak for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, to rehydrate and begin flavor extraction.

Gentle simmer

After soaking, slowly bring the pot to a near simmer over medium heat. Just before the water reaches a boil (tiny bubbles around edges), remove and discard the kombu to avoid bitterness. Continue to simmer with the shiitake and ginger for 10 minutes over low heat.

Finish dashi

Remove shiitake and reserve (slice later for serving). Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot or bowl if you prefer a clear broth. Return broth to pot, add soy sauce, mirin, and salt. Taste and adjust: if using miso, whisk the 15 g white miso into a ladleful of hot broth, then stir back into pot (optional). Keep broth warm over low heat; do not boil after adding miso.

Prepare tofu and vegetables

While the dashi is finishing, drain tofu and cut into 2–3 cm cubes. Trim core from cabbage and slice into 1 cm wide ribbons. Peel and julienne the carrot into thin matchsticks (or shave into thin rounds). If reserved shiitake were rehydrated, slice them into thin strips. Slice menma into bite-sized pieces if needed. Rehydrate wakame by placing it in a small bowl with cold water for 5–10 minutes, then drain and roughly chop if pieces are large. Trim and slice scallions on the bias into 3–4 mm rounds, separating white and green parts.

Cook vegetables

Bring the seasoned broth back to a gentle simmer. Add the cabbage and carrot first and simmer 2–3 minutes until just tender-crisp. Add menma and sliced shiitake and simmer 1 minute to warm through. Gently add the tofu cubes and wakame and heat for another 1–2 minutes—just long enough for tofu to warm and wakame to rehydrate fully. Stir gently once or twice to avoid breaking the tofu.

Assemble and finish

Ladle the broth, vegetables, tofu, menma, and shiitake into shallow bowls. Scatter scallion whites and then green parts on top. Drizzle about 1 tsp (5 ml) of rayu per bowl (adjust to heat preference) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. If you like, pass extra rayu and soy sauce at the table.

Serve immediately while hot. Leftover broth and components keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat gently and add fresh scallions and rayu when serving.