An easy Japanese Clear Onion Soup recipe. A simple light, clear soup just like the one on your local Hibachi Steakhouse menu. 9 Simple Ingredients. 30 Minutes. Gluten-Free. Low-Carb. Keto. Paleo. Whole 30.
What Is Japanese Clear Onion Soup?
Firstly, what does Clear Soup mean?
A clear soup is as the name suggests, a richly flavored clear liquid broth that can be made from any meats, vegetables, herbs, spices and flavorings. It has to be strained at the end, because a strict definition of “clear soup” or ”clear broth” means that no solid parts can be present in the soup.
Japanese Clear Onion Soup specifically is a very light, clear soup made from a meat or vegetable broth with a strong onion flavor. It is simmered for 30 minutes to unlock the flavors and then strained to achieve a clear and flavorful onion soup.
Authentic Japanese Clear Soup is generally garnished with fresh sliced scallions and thinly sliced mushrooms.
It is a very common and very popular soup served at Japanese Restaurants, and is a staple on any Hibachi Steakhouse menu.
How To Make Japanese Clear Onion Soup:
What Is Japanese Clear Onion Soup Made Of?
Japanese Clear Onion Soup is a light, but delicious soup. The ingredients are simple and easy to find:
- Chicken Broth (Can use beef broth as well, or a combination of both. You can also use vegetable broth if you’d like to keep it meat free, although it’ll be just slightly less delicious)
- Onion (Duh!)
- Carrot, Celery, Garlic and Ginger (for amazing depth of flavor)
- Mushrooms and Scallions (for garnish)
- Toasted Sesame Oil (for that unmistakable Asian flavor)
- Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce) and Sriracha (optional- for boosting the clear soup to epic flavor proportions).
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery (no need to peel the carrots).
- Slice the ginger and garlic into rounds in order to expose more surface area and unleash the most of its flavor.
- I like to start off by slightly caramelizing the onion in a bit of regular oil in order to unlock their full deliciousness. About 10 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Then, I add the carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil. (Photo 2)
- Pour in the chicken broth. (At this point I like to take a spoonful of the broth and see how salty it is - if it’s not salted enough, I add a little salt now). (Photo 3)
- Bring the soup to a boil, and then lower the temperature and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. (Photo 4)
- Strain all the solid particles out of the soup. (It’s up to you what you’d like to do with all the solids. I don’t like waste so I keep it and throw it in another meal. A little extra fiber never hurt anybody) (Photo 5)
- Garnish with fresh sliced scallions, very thinly sliced button mushrooms and serve it up! I personally enjoy a splash of soy sauce (or coconut aminos if you’re on the Whole 30 or Paleo diet), as well as a little squirt of sriracha. (Photo 6)
Is This Popular Hibachi Soup Healthy?
As you can see, it is a very simple clear soup recipe - as is most clear soup variations. This means that it is not extremely nutritionally substantial and is very low in calories, but that's exactly what makes it perfect as a light starter.
With only 64 calories per serving, it is the epitome of light!
Some people do enjoy adding shredded chicken and have it for a light meal that is very low calories. This is quite delicious and perfect for weight loss, but then not exactly a Japanese Clear Onion Soup anymore.
It’s a also a lovely appetizer for anyone following a pro metabolic eating plan, as it is made with fresh, whole ingredients.
Looking For More Healthy Soup Recipes?
For other yummy (and healthy) soup recipes, check out any of these options from our archives, as well as some of our personal favorites from other great bloggers.
- Instant Pot Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup
- Shrimp Boil Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana by BeautyAndTheBenchPress.com
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup by ASpicyPerspective.com
Did You Make This Japanese Clear Onion Soup Recipe?
If you’ve made this Japanese Clear Soup recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. We love hearing your feedback and it greatly helps us improve our recipes!
You can also give us a follow on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook – we love staying in touch!
Japanese Clear Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken or beef broth as well, or a combination of both if you have it. be sure to use a low sodium variety)
- 2 onions (diced)
- 1 celery stalks (diced)
- 1 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon ginger (minced)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup button mushrooms (very thinly sliced)
- ½ cup scallions (sliced)
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste soy sauce (optional)
- to taste Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the onions in a pot in a little bit of oil until slightly carmelized. About 10 minutes.
- Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger, sesame oil, and broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain the veggies from the broth.
- Add a handful of scallions and thinly sliced mushrooms to bowls. Ladle the soup on top.
- Optional: Add a splash of soy sauce and sriracha to taste.
Tips and Tricks:
- A serving = One cup of soup. The nutritional information does not include soy sauce or sriracha.
- For Paleo and Whole 30 compliant clear onion soup, use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce.
- I usually don’t throw away the strained vegetables, but toss them in with another meal instead.
Nutrition
This Japanese Clear Onion Soup Recipe was first published on September 17, 2015 and updated on February 20, 2020 to include detailed step-by-step instructions and faqs.
Anita says
I just tried this recipe for the first time. I bought all my ingredients this morning, fresh. I only could not get sesame oil; that's ok; did not take away from the taste. It was simple and quick to make. I used some more of the veggies than the recipe called for, just to use them up. Wonderful and flavorful. Will happily make this again.
Roche Woodworth says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Anita!
Mari says
So delicious!!! I will be making it again !! Reminded of the Benihana soup .. thank you for sharing
Roche Woodworth says
Hi Mari, thank you for the feedback! So happy you enjoyed the recipe:)
Marilyn says
I love it!!!!! I did not separate the vegetables though but it still came out awesome!
Roche Woodworth says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Marilyn! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Devyn W. says
I tried making this myself, the thing is I'm not a very good cook so I'm pretty sure I may have messed something up. I was unsure what type of onions to get so I had bought sweet onions, either I had let them sautéed for to long, or used the wrong type of onion or something because I had found my soup to be extremely sweet. I guess my point here is perhaps specify what type of onion I'm suppose to use next time I decide to try again
Evan says
Loove this soup- thanks for the recipe!
steve says
I wasn't impressed with this recipe at all. It just tasted like chicken broth - really had no taste. I won't be using this recipe again.
Keegan says
You are mean i love it so much
Kyleigh Miller says
It didn’t taste right to me at all...I think I did too much celery....The recipe said two stalks which seemed extensive to me considering how little carrots there were. Is it actually supposed to be that? Like you mentioned in other comment replies you can’t know for sure because you weren’t there. I’m just a college student trying to learn how to make more stuff with very little cooking skills. Maybe not enough onions too. I added a lot of salt which seemed to help. It’s not horrible but isn’t what I was expecting compared to all the hibachi places i’ve been too. Especially Benihana’s! I will definitely try again though because I love this soup all year round...you can’t beat it!
Sal says
Maybe it's got to do with the size of the ingredients? If they used small celery stalks and yours are huge... it can affect the taste! Same goes for onions and carrots!
Danielle Littrell says
The receipe only calls for one stalk.
Roche Woodworth says
Hi, we’ve recently updated this post - we’ve also retested the recipe and adjusted some of the quantities after reading user feedback! It’s impossible to know the size of the stalks each person uses, so we thought it better to stick with one.
Keegan says
My recipe only says 1 celery stalk
James R says
I was surprised also but realized that onions are sweet and carrots are sweet. Note that doesn't mean they are bad just that when onions are sauteed their sweetness is released (making onion soup as delicious as it is) and when carrots are simmered their sugars are released. Both are healthy vegetables but I suspect that is where the carbs come from. I do not have the nutritional information on Siracha which may also contain some form of sugars. There are many brands of Siracha and I have seen cane sugar on at least one label. Brands may make a difference.
Yvonne says
Delicious! Just like when we go have Hibatchi.
Vanessa says
I’m surprised there are 10 carbs in a serving. Is this correct?
Kiley says
I see that a serving is 100 calories, but what is considered a serving size? One cup? Also, what type of onions do you recommend?
Roche Woodworth says
Hello Kiley! Yes, a serving would be approximately one cup. And we used regular yellow onions for this recipe:)
Erica says
Just made this tonight and adapted it to cook in the Instapot, it tastes exactly like the Japanese steakhouse! Thanks for sharing!
Roche Woodworth says
Thanks for the feedback, Erica! Glad the recipe worked out well for you in the Instant Pot!:)
Lisa says
I recently discovered a mushroom farm where I can buy shiitakes so fresh they are still on the log. Needless to say I was very excited! I used this recipe to the letter but subbed in the shiitakes and the recipe is AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing. I make this at least once a week.
Roche Woodworth says
Thank you for the great review, Lisa! Glad you enjoy the recipe:)
D Vasta says
Why does everyone in the US and Europe think SOY SAUCE is bad for you? It's the perfect fermented item to season food with, hell of a lot better than salt.
Roche Woodworth says
Hi! It's not that we (and I'm talking about us running the blog) think soy sauce is "bad" for you, but since we are a healthy low-carb blog and soy sauce is made from a legume (which is high carb and inflammatory). We recommend Coconut Aminos to people that are on a strict low carb diet.
Gabrielle says
I'd also say, D Vasta, that US soy sauce is typically NOT fermented. The process is sped up with hydrochloric acid and tons of crappy cheap salt, MSG, and caramel color is dumped in it so that what for some people can be a healthy food is now total and complete garbage. This is known as acid hydrolyzed soy sauce and accounts for most of what is sold in the US and many Asian countries as well. Plus GMO soy beans here in the US. Don't forget that part.
However, if you can find organic shoyu or tamari you're good to go! That's brewed with traditional methods using koji cultures and is either made with or without wheat depending on which type you get.
Melody says
This was amazing to try! I had always wanted to make Japanese food and this is what got me started! It was so simple and easy! I've had it several ways, I've even left the veggies in it and added chicken to it! It made a great chicken veggie soup!
Mark says
Love this soup. I added some red pepper flakes and left the veggies in the broth for extra flavor.
Carla says
How many carbs are in this? Is this truly a Keto friendly soup? I’m new to all this Keto stuff. Thanks.
Cathy Frauenhoffer says
Our restaurant use tempura for the flakes drizzled in oil then drained
Lizette says
I was wondering where the vitamin D comes from?
Other than that..., This recipe is awesome !
I had to move far away from my favorite sushi restaurant but now I can make this soup myself thanks to ya'll, (:
Also for people wondering what to do with the veggies, I left them in the soup for fiber content.
(other details: I made mine with red onions and I just used water bc I didn't like the veggie broth I bought... btw, there's gluten free soy sauce out there, I bought mine at whole foods)
Tasted delicious!!
Mike says
The vitamin D comes from the mushrooms. The caveat is that the mushrooms have to be exposed to ultraviolet light prior to harvest to increase the Vitamin D level. There’s no way of knowing if the grower went to the trouble to expose the mushrooms to sunlight or ultraviolet growing lights.
Hayley says
I have made tons of recipes for this soup. This one takes the CAKE!! When it gets cold I love to make soups each week to have with dinner. This soup will go into our rotation!
Roche Woodworth says
Hi Hayley! Thank you so much for the feedback. So glad you like the recipe 🙂
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Roche Woodworth says
Hi Vanessa! The broth should last up to a week in the fridge and months in the freezer. I would add the mushrooms and scallions fresh each time though 🙂
Kuko says
Matsutake Suimono is clear Japanese soup, which is made with dashi—not water or broth. You never find sriracha in Japanese cooking.
What exactly is Japanese about this recipe?
Shay says
Hey Kuko! This is just a recreation of the clear soup found in Japanese Steakhouses in the USA. We don't claim that it is an authentic recipe by any means. We also used easy to find ingredients that your average home cook can find in their neighborhood grocery store that gets relatively close to the flavor. Also, Japanese Steakhouses in the USA normally serves Sriracha when you ask for hot sauce. Thank you for visiting our blog.
Debbie Heath says
Ok made this tonight. It is a little bland compared to the Japanese restaurant down the street!
I added water and that may be the issue. I’ll try it again with vegetable stock.
Shay says
Thanks for the feedback. Since I was not in the kitchen with you, it's hard for me to judge why yours came out bland. In a lot of cases though, blandness is simply a case of too little salt. But, we will throw this recipe into our line-up for retesting to be sure.
H says
This recipe make onion water. No Japenese Steakhouse would serve this.
Shay says
We meticulously test our recipes and always revisit old ones for retesting if we see any negative feedback. Since I was not in the kitchen with you while you made this recipe, it's impossible to troubleshoot why it came out as "onion water" for you. My guess is that you likely didn't season it enough. Thanks for the feedback.
CAOS says
Just out of curiosity if following this recipe as is where is the amount of protein listed in the nutritional values come from? Making it right now and it smells amazing. I did add a beef bone (daughter just had wisdom teeth extraction and I felt she needed for nutritional value). Thank you.
John X. Ellis Sr. says
I haven't made this soup yet hence why I'm here. I will make some suggestions though as I will be making some changes to it. Use home made stock without salt so that you can use the soy sauce without being overly salty right out of the gate if you intend on using soy sauce. Always add your salt at the end. Lamb or chicken broth will give you a change in both flavor depth and profiles for changing up the basic soup. Start with a Dashi base if possible for your home made broth for better umami flavors. If you don't like sriracha then try adding a few (to taste) korean red peppers, red pepper flakes, S&B Japanese Style Shichimi Chili Paste, or Gochujang sauce/paste if you prefer those flavors. These peppers and paste may overwhelm the subtle flavors in the soup so be careful and use sparingly especially if you heat them since peppers will intensify in flavor when heated. Also, our local restaurant uses a chicken broth with bread crumbs and minced onions remaining in the bowl for an awesome flavor without any hot peppers or sauce.
Markay Richlin says
Is there a specific type of onion to use?
Karen Latimer says
Veggie broth covers a world of options and since it is the primary flavoring, may I ask WHAT vegetable broth is being used? A can? A box? Better than Bouillion? Homemade? Those people who did not care for it may have used plain water.
Laura says
My husband is Filapino. We use this broth, minus the srircha, (because it is soooooo tasty) with pancit bihon rice noodles and shrimp or chicken. It is a great broth on its own, but can also be used to make a heartier meal. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Shay says
Awesome! Glad you like the broth! 🙂
Emily says
I used all veggie broth instead of water and added a touch of red pepper flake opting out of sirracha.. this is great to just make and keep on hand.. I eat it for lunch now every day.. FEELING STRONG!
Shay says
Awesome! Glad you liked it!:)
Merry says
Wanted to add. I used3 to 1 parts of chicken broth to beef broth. It def is better than veg broth. So if use 3 cups chicken broth, do 1 cup beef and so on.
Merry says
I tried making this bout a month ago and while it was still ok, I felt as though the carrots didnt taste right in it. It added a tad of sweetness to it that def doesn't normally have from the Japanese steakhouses. Next time going to try without carrots. I used all same ingr. as you posted.
Sherri says
This was so good! My daughter loves hibachi onion soup, but this recipe was even better than the one we get at the Japanese steak house. It's quick, light and has such good flavor. Thanks for sharing.
Laurel says
SO good!!! Vegetarian husband declared it "restaurant quality." Vegan older teen loved the flavor and ate 2 bowls. Carnivorous pickier young teen even liked it (mushrooms strained out first.) Great addition to our multi-diet family. Thank you!
Richard says
What kind of onions are you using
Sreejaya Radhakrishnan says
Hi, Thank you for this lovely recipe... I made it tonight and it was awesome...
Shay says
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Dave says
Don’t do the vegetable broth...does not recreate what you’re hoping for...
Gloria Lindsay says
This just popped up on Pinterest. I have most ingredients in but can hardly wait till I feel better and get to the store. I know I am going to love this. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ash says
Maybe a dumb question... but what happens to the veggies after they get strained?
Scott Citron says
Although I strained the vegetables, per the recipe, my wife ate the soup with the vegetables in. Both were delicious, with or without the vegetables.
IFortuna says
I would use miso for a more flavorful soup. Just does let "live" miso boil or the enzymes will be killed.
Shelley says
I have a very similar recipe but with slow cooking chicken and beef bone and vegetables over night. Yours seems so much easier. Going to have to try ????
Meg says
Perfect light soup, comforting and delicious.
Morgan says
I feel like my broth came out very brown / orangish. Could it have been the carrots?
Holly says
What type of onions did you use?
Shay says
Hi Holly, I used white onions 🙂
Teresa says
I'm confused what does it mean to strain the vegatables? Are the mushrooms raw?
Cody says
Hi Teresa:) You just need to pour the liquid through a strainer to separate the solid chunks from the broth. And yes the mushrooms are added raw - if sliced thinly they will cook some in the hot broth.
Brittany Hall says
Hi, I am a fitness blogger and I would love to feature one of your recipes on my blog, http://www.brittanyhallcpt.com. Is this ok with you? Thanks so much!
Shay says
Hi Brittany! Sure thing:)
jonea says
i really liked it. i found this when my boyfriend needed something "brothy" after oral surgery. i've had "real" ramen at a chain restaurant in China & this falls in line. like some of the others, i used a little more broth & i didn't have green onions, but i did add some cilantro & chili garlic sauce & it was superb. next time i'll pick up some noodles to throw in.
Laurie says
Just making this for the first time. So excited! I love broth soups. They're so comforting, but also not heavy. Thank you!
Natasha Carver says
Not impressed at all. Even using vegetable broth it only tastes like carrot and celery and not anything close to the restaurants. I would compare it more to dish water.
Tabby says
I used veggie broth and I felt like it took sway from the classic onion taste im used to. Will try water next time! Still great!
Maria says
In the process of cooking it, my husband loves this soup at restaurants. It smells delicious and it's super easy!! Thanks for the recepie.
Steve a Boone says
TU-Shay!!!! I think I nailed it girlfriend thanks,... I sprinkled ginger as it can make or break you and drizzled soy to taste.. Tell your readers to go lite then add that's the best way...
Martina says
How might you use the leftover vegetables? I just made this soup but I would like suggestions to make it more sustainable and stretch my dollar.
Lizette says
I didn't strain the veggies ...didn't want to lose out on the fiber
Paloma says
Love this soup! It's a great base soup for me because I usually throw in any veggies I have lying around! I leave in the onions carrots and celery, and add diced cucumber (yes cucumber! It's amazing!) and mushrooms at the same time and throw in bean sprouts towards the end for some crunch! I also use water instead of veggie broth and it tastes amazing! I serve it with scallions, soy sauce, and a little bit of sambal oelek instead of Sriracha and it is soo good!!!
Maria says
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing!! I added a bit if ginger and also tofu in the end of the cooking process.
Alicia says
I did and thought it came out great.
Ann says
Unfortunately this turned out to be disappointing for us. Perhaps it was the brand of vegetable broth that we used. But to be honest I'm not sure how this could be flavorful at all if only water was used ( implied from directions ). Thank you for sharing though!
Jeff says
Could you use chicken broth with this?
Kate says
Trying this recipe out!
Ashley says
Did you add soy sauce and hot sauce?
KBec says
See comments above!
Liz says
Silly question here, can any type of onion be used? Can't wait to try this!
Nicki says
Maybe it's something I did, but this tastes nothing like the soup I get from hibachi restaurants. I'm disappointed because my husband and I had such high hopes for this recipe.
Leighe says
Our Japanese restaurants use the deep fried onions, so for those missing that, just add a tablespoon of Durkee onions into the bowl before you pour the broth in and the broth will soften them.
Angie says
Would this be OK without the mushrooms? We just do not like them lol. Thank you 🙂
Christine H says
The best! I use water and it has a lot of flavor. It is even better as leftovers. Thank you!
Mary says
As there was nothing in the soup to make it Japanese, I added miso at the end along with the mushrooms and kept all the veggies. It was delicious.
Kari Mullen says
Tremendous amount of work for a small amount of soup. Tastes great.
Annette says
When do you add the soy sauce & Sriracha?
Megan says
Just letting you know I have BEEN craving this soup so I used your recipe. It is soooo good. But I may have made a mistake putting garlic in it though 🙁
Jessica says
Is this something I could make and freeze? I always crave this soup when I'm not feeling well and having it frozen would be wonderful.
Shay says
Hi Jessica! Sure, you can definitely freeze the broth, although I think I would definitely add the mushrooms and scallions fresh each time 🙂
OhioLibertarian says
Have you tried it using dashi rather than vegi broth/water?
Dan says
One of our favorite places to eat is japanese palace in ft worth tx. They serve this soup for a starter, and I'm with you it's wonderful. When I saw you post it, I made it that night. It GREAT! Douro arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much.)
Cassandra says
This tasted like carrot water... not the best recipe in my opinion
Shay says
Thank you for the feedback, Cassandra. This is of our most popular recipes that consistently gets positive results. Unfortunately since I wasn't in the kitchen with you, I can't troubleshoot it. My best guess is that you didn't season it enough - a little salt goes a long way in bringing out flavors, especially with soup in my opinion.
Brian Anderson says
Why oh why do people feel so compelled to point out how ummmm inept(?) They are? Amazing the number of critics the internet has produced.
William says
Trolls..
We love mushroom umami flavor, and sauteed a lb in avocado oil and ghee, then added 4 cups water and billed for 30 mins. Added two pinches of smoked sea salt and a day off so sauce. We are the soup without straining there mushrooms. This was our variation and was very flavorful and delicious. Served two. Cheers.
Marc says
Excellent tasting soup! I'm sorry I missed the earlier commentor. The "crunchy rice" they use in restaurants some time is actually Panko...Japanese breadcrumb, add right before you serves.
Kathy says
I can't wait to try this out this week. It looks amazing and a nice feel-good soup
Shay says
Awesome! Hope it turns out good for you, Kathy! 🙂
Sarah says
For keeping with the low-carb / paleo lifestyle, I feel it important to note that the Kikoman Soy Sauce has gluten in it. The wheat is used as a thickener. Not really a big deal for the soup unless you have celiac disease. There are some gluten free soy sauce options though that would be a good replacement.
Shay says
Hi Sarah! In general, I don't look too deep at condiments, because of the very small amount I generally include in my recipes and also because I do not cater to an "ultra" low-carb/celiac audience. But I appreciate you bringing that to my attention. I will definitely look into some alternatives.
Chastity says
Why do you put carrots, celery & onions in it? The soup Ive had only had scallions and mushrooms. It looks like thats all your picture shows too
Shay says
Hi Chastity. If you read the recipe, you'll notice that the celery, onions and carrots get strained from the soup at the end. Those vegetables are what creates the flavorful broth. Without it the soup would taste like plain 'ol water 🙂
Chastity says
Well ok then, guess it helps to read thoroughly. Thanks a lot!!!
Kristina Johnson says
This sounds delicious. I am planning to make some and add a little chicken breast to make it heartier. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
About how many calories do you think are in 1 cup?
Hisako says
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 527 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 114
Calories from Fat 21
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.3g4%
Saturated Fat 0.6g3%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1406mg59%
Potassium 736mg21%
Total Carbohydrates 13.2g4%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g12%
Sugars 6.3g
Protein 10.5g
Vitamin A 105% • Vitamin C 17%
Calcium 5% • Iron 16%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
Hisako says
This was me using this as the ingredient base:
2 onions
6 Cups vegetable broth
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 garlic cloves
8 oz mushrooms
3 scallions
1 TBSP soy sauce
I don't personally like sriracha, so that will adjust the calories a bit, I don't use salt or pepper for this type of dish either.
Shiona says
How many carrots, celery, and onion are needed? Does the little dot stand for cups? And where does the sirracha and soy sauce come into play? Thank you.
Shay says
Hi Shiona, I think your browser may not have loaded the page correctly. All the quantities and instructions are in the recipe box! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Liz says
Hi! This looks delicious! Have you ever made this with Miso? If so how did it change the flavor and how much would you recommend using? Thanks!
Shay says
Hey Liz, never made it with miso, but I'm definitely going to give it a try!
Lauren S. says
I have been looking for this recipe forever and have had a cold and sore throat for a week so this is perfect!
Do you happen to know if you can buy/make those crunchy rice they give with the soup?
Thanks!
Shay says
Hi Lauren, I'm glad you like it! 🙂 Unfortunately I don't have any advice regarding the crunchy rice. Thanks for stopping by!
Todd Lewis says
Slice onions real thin, dredge in flour and fry for 30 seconds. Better than crunchy rice.
Kim says
I used the fried French onions for that
Kim says
I used the fried French onions (like the green bean casserole) for that
Jillian says
I know it's not my recipe and you said crunchy rice but in my experience with the onion soups at Japanese restaurants is they actually use french fried onions! I personally think it's absolutely delicious if you'd like to give it a try. If not maybe try cooking the rice only partially and then deep frying! Hope this helps some. 🙂
Sandy Sharp says
You can buy the crunchy things at the Chinese restaurant!
Natalie says
The "crunchy rice" is usually little pieces of fried tempura batter...just mix some cornstarch, plain flour, and water together to make a "batter" that you then drip into hot oil-use a strainer to almost immediately scoop out of the oil as they cook in seconds. Drain on paper towels and let cool so they don't make your soup greasy. Put in the soup last minute or they get soggy and gross.
Lauren Carlucci says
The "cruchy rice" is actually just fried tempura batter. I used to work at a hibachi restaurant and they would scoop out the little bits of tempura better that broke off when they were frying tempura vegetables or they would just fry up the batter and then set it aside until just before serving the soup and waiters would add the "crunchies", as we called them, with the mushrooms and green onions.
Linda says
Why discard those delicious veggies?!
Shay says
Hey Linda 🙂 It's a recipe for Japanese Clear Onion Soup, meaning a clear onion flavored broth. Same as when you make a vegetable broth or a chicken broth - the veggies (and/or bones) get dumped. It's entirely up to you though, keep them in there if you want a regular vegetable soup, but in that case I recommend adding all the other goodies I added in our Veggie Soup recipe 🙂 I actually ate those discarded veggies as a snack the next day. Yum lol
Shay says
Hey! If you slice the mushrooms super thin like we did, they'll get soft quick - so it's not really necessary to let it sit. Hope you like it! 🙂
Sabrin K says
This sounds amazing, so excited to try this! I was wondering, do you let the mushrooms sit in the soup for a bit before you serve it? I was wondering how the mushrooms get soft? Thank you!
Tiffany Brown says
Absolutely loved it!!????
Shay says
Awesome! Glad to hear! 🙂
James says
Can I use chiken stock?
Shay says
Yes you can. It might change the flavor a little, but will most likely still taste good.
Jennie says
How much soy sauce did you use, just so I have an idea? I'm planning to make this tomorrow and am so looking forward to it!
Shay says
Hi Jennie! Good to hear! 🙂 I seasoned the soup with regular salt and had the soy sauce (and Sriracha) on the table. We all just added a little splash to our bowls, mostly for the flavor. If I have to take a guess, it would probably be a tablespoon or two into the pot. Saltiness is a very personal preference though and I would suggest adding little by little while tasting, until it tastes perfect to you! Hope you like it!
Amanda says
How much does each bowl have for cal/carbs??
Ann says
I love this soup. What are the little noodles they add in at the restaurant?
Wanda says
I've never seen it with noodles, only French fried onions. I hope that helps. ????
John X. Ellis Sr. says
I have never seen it with noodles either. Our local restaurant uses bread crumbs and diced green onions that can be seen at the bottom. They also use a chicken broth instead of a vegetable broth.
Misti says
I think those are some kind of dumpling.
Alice says
They are French fried onions. They are in a can at the store. Same as used for green bean casserole.
Amy says
They are called crunchiest (I called the Japanese restaurant near mr to ask this and was told they’re call crunchiest.. you can also use. French fried onions.
Carolann says
This is amazing.. I used water .. when the onions were nicely browned, I added a TBSP of soy sauce and let it simmer for about a minute before adding the water. It was so good.
Susan says
This is delicious and easy to make. Thanks!
Shay says
Glad you liked it Susan! 🙂
Hanna joo says
Can I add cauliflower to this?
Michelle says
This was super tasty. Thanks!
Shay says
Glad you liked it! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Sabrina says
Whenever it says vegetable broth/ water does that mean both or pick one????
Shay says
Hi Sabrina,
In my experience slash means "or", so vegetable OR water, depending what you have. I'll write it out to be more clear though! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Roberta T. Cooper says
I made this soup last nigh, OMG! it was so good. Anytime you eat something and it makes you close your eyes,it is just that good. I added some nigerian pepper to it, I didn't have anymore sirracha. Simple to do and I had all the ingrients at home except the mushrooms and stopped by the store and picked some up.A very good soup for cold nights.
Devonne says
Did you use water or broth?
tami says
May I say that i use water i love the earthy flavor I use more carrots for taste too so why spend for veggie broth or do both and see which one you like best
geoff says
vegetable broth or water.
Shay says
Hi Geoff. You can use either, but vegetable broth will be more flavorful.
Tricia says
It means pick one. If you dont have vege. Broth on hand then just use water.