I’m trying to embrace more traditions in my life, like cooking Ozoni on New Years day. Ozoni is a Japanese soup made with mochi and is traditionally eaten on in the morning of the New Year. Not only is it symbolic, it’s packed with with veggies and will warm you up on a cold wintery morning! or revive you from the night before…
Ozoni is made differently depending on where you are in Japan. Nami at Just One Cookbook writes that you would typically find a clear soup made with bonito and soy sauce in Tokyo, whereas in the Kyoto area you are more likely to find a white miso soup base. Other ingredients will vary depending on the region or household, but the one thing they all have in common? Mochi.
If you don’t know, mochi is a pounded rice cake which has a satisfying chewy texture. Mochi is considered a symbolic food and is associated with longevity, good health and good fortune. At the very least, it’s a fibre packed and tasty start to the year!
Frequently Asked Questions
I use kiri mochi which is a hard mochi. Though you can use softer mochi, hard mochi has a firm texture which holds it’s structure better in the soup.
The base of Ozoni changes depending on location and personal preference, so there are no hard rules here. I recommend using your favourite miso paste. My favourite is this white Hikari Miso paste.
This will depend on where you are in the world. In the UK, your best bet is at an Asian supermarket. The texture is somewhat similar to water chestnut which can be found in larger supermarkets.
Ingredients for Ozoni – Serves 4
- 1 litre dashi stock
- 4 tbsp white miso
- Approx 150g 1 lotus root (sliced)
- Approx 100g 1 carrot (sliced)
- 10cm daikon (quartered and sliced)
- 3 dried shitake (rehydrated and sliced)
- 300g tofu (cubed)
- 4 pieces of kiri mochi
Method
- Start by preparing all your ingredients, don’t forget to soak the shiitake mushrooms. If you don’t want to make the flower shaped lotus root and carrot, skip to step 4.
- To make the flower shaped lotus root you’ll need a sharp knife, and some courage. Carefully make v-shaped notches in between the holes then round out the edges until it’s smooth and resembles a flower petal. Slice into evenly sized pieces.
- To make flower shaped carrot peel and slice v-shaped notches around the carrot before slicing into evenly sized pieces.
- Bring 1 litre of dashi stock to a simmer and add in the sliced lotus root. Cook for 20 minutes then add the carrot, daikon, re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, and tofu and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Start grilling the mochi 5-10 minutes before the soup has finished cooking. You can do this using a grill or an air fryer. If you’re using an air fryer cook it for 5-8 minutes at 190°C. Cook until the mochi has puffed up.
- Once the soup has finished cooking take it off the heat and add in 4 tablespoons of miso. Use a strainer or make the miso a smooth and pourable consistency. You can do this by mixing the miso with some hot dashi broth in a different bowl, then pour back into the dashi. This prevents lumps of miso from floating around in the soup.
- Serve the soup between 4 bowls and top with a piece of the grilled mochi. Enjoy, and happy New Year!
Ozoni -お雑煮 (Japanese New Year Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 litre dashi stock
- 4 tbsp white miso
- 150 lotus root (sliced)
- 100 medium carrot (sliced)
- 10 cm daikon (quartered and sliced)
- 3 dried shiitake (rehydrated and sliced)
- 300 g tofu (cubed)
- 4 kiri mochi
Instructions
Making the Flower Shaped Lotus Root and Carrot.
- To make the flower shaped lotus root you'll need a sharp knife and some courage. Carefully make v-shaped notches in between the holes then round out the edges until it's smooth and resembles a flower petal. Slice into evenly sized pieces.
- To make flower shaped carrot peel and slice v-shaped notches around the carrot before slicing into evenly sized pieces.
Making the Soup.
- Start by preparing all your ingredients, don't forget to soak the shiitake mushrooms.
- Bring the dashi stock to a simmer and add in the sliced lotus root. Cook for 20 minutes then add the carrot, daikon, re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, and tofu and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Start grilling the mochi 5-10 minutes before the soup has finished cooking. You can do this using a grill or an air fryer. If you're using an air fryer cook it for 5-8 minutes at 190°C. Cook until the mochi has puffed up.
- Once the soup has finished cooking take it off the heat and add in 4 tablespoons of miso. Use a strainer or make the miso a smooth and pourable consistency. You can do this by mixing the miso with some hot dashi broth in a different bowl, then pour back into the dashi. This prevents lumps of miso from floating around in the soup.
- Serve the soup between 4 bowls and top with a piece of the grilled mochi. Enjoy and happy New Year!
