Itoko-jiru (Adzuki and Root Vegetable Miso Soup)

Quick answer

Total time: 100 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Itoko-jiru is an Ishikawa soup of tender adzuki beans, daikon, pumpkin, and tofu seasoned with miso.

Kombu dashi is combined with the reserved bean cooking liquid, giving the broth body without meat or fish. Discarding the first blanching water softens the harsh edge of the beans, while cooking daikon before pumpkin keeps each vegetable intact. The beans and tofu return near the end, and the miso is stirred in gently so its aroma remains clear rather than being boiled away.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
dried adzuki beans	50	g
firm tofu	80	g
daikon	80	g
kabocha squash	60	g
kombu dashi	400	ml
adzuki cooking liquid	400	ml
miso	24	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Control

Rinse 50g adzuki beans, cover generously with water, and bring to a boil.

Boil for 15 minutes, then discard this first cooking water.
2

Control

Cover the beans with fresh water and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes.

Add water as needed, skim foam, and cook until a bean crushes easily between the fingers.
3

Finish

Drain the beans and reserve 400ml of their cooking liquid.

Cut the tofu and daikon into 1cm cubes, seed the kabocha, and cut it into small bite-size pieces.
4

Control

Combine 400ml kombu dashi and 400ml bean liquid in a pot.

Add the daikon and simmer over medium heat. When nearly tender, add the kabocha and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
5

Heat

Add the cooked beans and tofu and warm for 2 minutes.

Dissolve 24g miso in a ladleful of broth, stir it back into the pot, and turn off the heat just before boiling.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Adzuki beans softened after discarding the first water
Finish cue: When nearly tender, add the kabocha and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
Avoid this: Avoid a hard boil after adding miso to preserve its aroma and keep the tofu and pumpkin intact.