Zoni is Japanese mochi (rice cake) soup. It's a Japanese tradition to eat zoni on New Year's holiday. Ingredients for zoni vary region to region. Basically, zoni is seasoned with soy sauce in eastern Japan, and it's seasoned with shiromiso (white miso) in western Japan.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups dashi soup stock
- 4 blocks mochi (rice cake)
- 1/4 lb. boneless chicken thighs
- 2 inches carrot, cut into thin rectangles
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 3 inches negi, or leek, rinsed and diagonally sliced
- 1/4 lb. fresh spinach, boiled and cut into 2 inches
- 4 slices kamaboko or naruto (fish cakes)
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp soysauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Preparation:
Cut chicken thighs into small pieces. Put dashi soup stock, chicken, carrot, and shiitake in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface. Turn down the heat to low. Add sake, sugar, and soy sauce in the soup. Simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile grill mochi in the oven until softened. Add grilled mochi, kamaboko or naruto, and negi slices in the soup.Makes 4 servings
