READY IN 1 hr

Japanese Onion Soup

Read Reviews (68)

"The basic Japanese soup that's given out as an appetizer at most Japanese restaurants. Very mild, a bit salty, and a touch of tang. It's a very improvisable recipe; most of the ingredients' quantities can be changed according to taste. Use your favorite mushrooms in this recipe." — Sawako

Directions

In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken stock, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes.
Place all of the remaining mushrooms into a separate pot. When the boiling mixture is done, place a strainer over the pot with the mushrooms in it. Strain the cooked soup into the pot with the mushrooms. Discard strained materials.
Serve the broth with mushrooms in small porcelain bowls, and sprinkle fresh chives over the top. Use Asian soup spoons for an elegant effect.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 08, 2008

After I read the reviews stating that this recipe is 'bland' and tasted like 'onion flavored water', I made sure I added extra ingredients to the boiled 'mixture'. I halved the recipe, but more or less estimated on the amounts of vegetables. I used a couple dried shiitake mushrooms (I had my biggest one simmer in the pot) and regular white button mushrooms. As far as bouillion goes, three cubes of beef and three cubes of chicken bouillions were PERFECT. Add a chopped green onion or two and a couple dashes of black pepper- and it's heaven. Granted, I hated waiting the 45 minutes for the soup to reduce, but it was definitely worth it.

—Jillian N.

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 08, 2008

Maybe I did something wrong here, but my roommate says it tasted like "slightly flavored water" I agree. I followed all the directions, except mushrooms, and all I got was a pot full of oniony flavored water. I thought that only 3 teaspoons of bouillon and 2 tablespoons of stock sounded like a small amount...

—JanxAngel

See full review »

90 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Mar 09, 2009

This was fantastic - better than our favorite restaurant. Only change, omit the chicken stock and add 1 teaspoon of chicken boullion granules. And don't bother dicing up the veggies, just do a rough chop since they are discarded anyway.

—SHOCKLEY1

See full review »

Apr 16, 2007

This approximated Benihana's onion soup, but didn't quite make it. Still good, though! I made mine in a pressure cooker by reducing the liquid to 5 cups (I should have done 4 cups) and adding all other ingredients as listed, except for chopped shiitakes. I just got some white sliced mushrooms from the produce section without checking their type, and poured the broth over those with some sliced green onions and french fried onions. Thanks for the recipe.

—newwifeandmom

See full review »

Jul 23, 2003

We frequent a japanese steak house (Domo 77) that serves this, yummm. My 11 year old asked if I could make this, he loved it. So simple, but yet good. Thanks Sawako

—I'm nuts too...

See full review »

Dec 02, 2010

So good!!! My husband and I ate almost the whole pot of soup just the two of us. My husband said that it was pretty spot-on to our local Japanese restaurant. And for him to say that with my complete lack of cooking skills, it is a pretty big compliment. I even brought some to work the next day and it tasted freshly made. We will definitely be making this again! Our changes: We don't eat mushrooms, so none were included. Instead of fresh ginger root, we used ground ginger from the seasoning isle. Instead of chicken stock, we used 3 chicken bouillon cubes. And we added an extra teaspoon of beef bouillon, making it 4 tsp of beef bouillon. *We used a cup of the soup and all of the vegetables to make our fried rice, so that nothing was wasted.

—Whitney

See full review »

Sep 24, 2007

Absolutely loved this recipe. I've been looking for a Japanese Onion Soup recipe for years -- trying to mimick the local hibachi restaurant. This was IT! Fantastic!

—nicolealine

See full review »

Dec 13, 2006

I used six bouillon cubes and just let them dissolve in the water. After straining, I added some fried onions and (after letting it sit for a few minutes) it did taste just like Benihana's! Excellent and good for you. WIll make again!

—amydoll

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Outback Onion Soup

Potato and Onion Soup

Authentic Japanese Scallop Soup with Ramen Noodles

Onion Soup Pork Chops

Gold Onion Soup

Egg Drop Soup I

Onion Soup Atu

Chi Tan T'ang (Egg Drop Soup)

Shrimp Rice Soup

Garlic Soup

Nutrition

Calories
25 kcal
1%

Carbohydrates
4.4 g
1%

Cholesterol
< 1 mg
< 1%

Fat
0.2 g
< 1%

Fiber
0.9 g
4%

Protein
1.4 g
3%

Sodium
257 mg
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Japanese Onion Soup

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 25
Calories from Fat: 2

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.2g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0.1g < 1 %
Cholesterol < 1mg < 1 %
Sodium 257mg 10 %
** Potassium 135mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 4.4g 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Protein 1.4g 3 %
Sugars 1.6g
Vitamin A 21 %
Vitamin C 4 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 6 %
** Thiamin 3 %
** Niacin 8 %
** Vitamin B6 3 %
** Magnesium 3 %
** Folate 5 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.