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Today’s miso soup features Udon noodles. Udon noodles, thick wheat flour noodles typically found in noodle soup dishes with clear broth, are also a great addition to miso soup. Miso soup with dense and chewy Udon is hearty and filling, making it a perfect side dish for any meals or a light lunch. You can use frozen or dried Udon, whichever is available, but be sure to defrost or cook the dried noodles before adding them to the miso soup. We’ve added Tenkasu tempura bits as a topping, which adds richness to the soup. If you want a little kick to the dish, sprinkle some Shichimi hot pepper. Hope you like it!

Chuka Okowa is mixed sticky Mochi rice (also called sweet rice), flavored with some of the ingredients and seasonings used in Chinese sticky rice. This chewy, savory rice dish with pork and vegetables boasts a deeper umami flavor from oyster sauce and a touch of sweetness from a small amount of sugar. Chuka Okowa is prepared in the rice cooker, eliminating the need to wrap it with bamboo leaves and steam it in a steamer like the Chinese version, making it incredibly easy to recreate at home.

Tofu Avocado Salad is a simple and healthy side dish that is so easy to make. It’s also completely plant based and vegan. Diced tofu and avocado are tossed in the Japanese style vinaigrette dressing with a hint of wasabi and sesame. It’s delicious by itself, but you can also put this on a bowl of rice to make a Donburi rice bowl.

Today’s miso soup is made with asparagus, onion, and ham. This is a quick and easy miso soup to make when asparagus is in season. Anytime from March through June, bundles of fresh asparagus are featured in the produce section of grocery stores. Asparagus is incredibly versatile and you can use it in any types of Japanese cooking from ohitashit to stir-frying (more asparagus recipes here!) Here we made a simple miso soup with onion and ham. It’s so easy to make with ingredients you already have at home.

Grilled Beef Tongue (or gyutan, 牛タン) is pan-fried sliced beef tongue. Beef tongue is quite a popular ingredient in Japan, especially at Japanese BBQ restaurants. It’s actually one of the most popular items at Yakiniku BBQ restaurants today. Thinly sliced beef tongue is rather tender and delicious. It’s quick to cook with the special charcoal or gas grills at restaurants, which may of course affect the flavor, giving the meat nice charred grill marks. Many people in Japan also buy raw sliced tongue to cook at home themselves so that they can make it right at their tables using with the same kind of grills. Here, we will show you how it’s done in a frying pan, which may be much easier.

Soup curry is a type of curry-flavored soup served with lightly fried vegetables and steamed rice. Unlike traditional curry, it has a lighter consistency, and the rice is typically served separately, allowing diners to dip the rice into the soup as they eat. Soup curry is known for its light flavor and abundant vegetables, and it has become more of a staple rather than just a trend, joining typical Japanese curry dishes in many menus.

Soy milk is often used for the soup of vegan ramen as it adds richness and creaminess to the broth while it’s all plant-based. In this easy (non-vegan) recipe, we simply replaced some water with soy milk when making a packaged instant ramen. No additional seasoning other than some sesame seeds and sesame oil added at the end. Soy milk added the depth in the broth, but it’s not overly creamy or greasy. It complemented the Tonkotsu flavor really well. We dropped an egg in the same pot while making the noodle, so it’s an one-pot meal and as easy as it gets!

Fried potatoes, consisting of stick potatoes fried in oil, are beloved worldwide and immensely popular in Japan. They are served not only in fast-food establishments but also in Western-style restaurants and even convenience stores. While they are commonly served as a meal component in many countries, in Japan, they are still largely considered as a snack or junk food. Nonetheless, hot fried potatoes are seriously delicious, appealing to many young and old as a guilty pleasure.

Asparagus Beef Rolls are a delightful combination of tender asparagus spears rolled with thinly sliced beef and cooked with a flavorful Teriyaki sesame sauce. This dish is incredibly versatile, serving as an easy appetizer or a satisfying main dish, made from simple ingredients. What’s more, it’s convenient; you can prepare them the night before and cook them fresh on the day you plan to serve them. This recipe is easily scalable, making it ideal for gatherings and potlucks. It’s also perfect for meal prepping Bento lunches; simply make extra for dinner and enjoy leftovers for the next day’s lunch. When cooking, be mindful not to overcook the asparagus to preserve its tender but nice crispy texture. The addition of sesame oil and seeds adds a twist to the traditional Teriyaki sauce. Alternatively, for those who prefer a more savory taste, Yakiniku BBQ sauce can be substituted. We hope you enjoy them!

Today’s miso soup features cod and spinach. Cod, known for its mild-flavored white meat that is easy to eat for many people worldwide, is just right for everyday miso soup too. By salting the fish and removing the moisture that rises to the surface before cooking, the unwanted fishy smell can be eliminated, leaving only the pleasant cod flavor in the soup. The only thing to be cautious of is that the residue of the salt may cause the soup to become too salty. Add a smaller amount of miso paste than usual initially, and gradually add more as needed to avoid making it too salty. Spinach, or any leafy green vegetables, can provide extra nutrition to the dish, resulting in a perfectly tasty and healthy miso soup that complements any meal. I hope you give it a try!