"ToL" Original Recipe: Ozōni

Ozōni Recipe (Inspired by my late paternal grandmother)

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic carrots, peeled and bâtonnet cut 

• ¾ cup organic gobō (burdock root), peeled and bâtonnet cut 

• ¾ cup organic takenoko (fresh bamboo shoots), julienne cut

• Pack of organic dried sliced shiitake mushrooms, soaked (keep marinated water for soup base)

• 12 ounce organic chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

• Mochi (rice cakes)

Soup Base

• 4 cups organic chicken broth

• 1 cup liquid from soaked shiitake mushrooms

• Kome shōyu (rice-based shōyu), to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings & Ingredients

• ½ cup mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), washed and chopped

• ½ cup shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), washed and chopped

• 1 cup cooked soba (buckwheat noodles), boiled

Cooking Instructions

1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20–30 minutes. Keep marinated water for the broth.

2. In a pot, combine chicken broth and reserved shiitake liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.

3. Add chicken and cook until just cooked through.

4. Add carrots, gobō, takenoko, and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

5. Season with shōyu to taste.

6. Boil mochi separately in another pot with water and some of the soup base until the mochi is soft and floats to the top.

7. Place one piece of mochi into each bowl and ladle soup and ingredients over it.

8. Add optional toppings if using and serve warm.

There's a vegan version of ozōni that was published on 29 December 2024.

Cheers!

Gini x

18 January 2026