Japanese onion soup recipe: best clear onion soup
This delicious and easy-to-make Japanese Clear Onion Soup brings the flavors of your favorite Hibachi Steakhouse right to your home. With just 9 simple ingredients, you can create a light and flavorful soup that’s ready in 30 minutes. It’s not only incredibly tasty but also vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, keto, paleo, and Whole30-friendly—perfect for a variety of diets.
Ingredients
Japanese clear onion soup ingredients:
- 6 cups (1.4l) vegetable broth
- 2 cups (300g) onions, diced
- 1 cup (100g) celery, diced
- 1 cup (130g) carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon (15g) garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon (2g) fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon (5g) sesame oil
- 1 cup (70g) button mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (50g) scallions or green onions, sliced
- ⅓ teaspoon (2g) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) tamari sauce or soy sauce (optional)
- Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
How to make Japanese soup
- Heat a bit of oil in a pot and sauté the onions until they start to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain the vegetables out of the broth.
- Place a handful of sliced mushrooms and scallions in serving bowls, then ladle the hot soup over them.
- Optional: Add a splash of soy sauce or sriracha for extra flavor.
How to Make Japanese Onion Soup in an Instant Pot:
- Sauté the onions: Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” mode. Add a bit of oil, and sauté the onions for about 5-7 minutes until they begin to caramelize.
- Add ingredients: Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and vegetable broth to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pressure cook: Close the lid, set the valve to “Sealing,” and cook on “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode for 5 minutes.
- Quick release: Once the cooking time is complete, carefully do a quick release of the pressure.
- Strain the veggies: Open the lid, and strain the vegetables from the broth.
- Serve: Add sliced mushrooms and scallions to serving bowls, then ladle the hot broth over them.
- Optional: Add soy sauce or sriracha to taste if desired.
How to Make Japanese Onion Soup in a Slow Cooker:
- Sauté the onions (optional): For a richer flavor, sauté the onions in a pan with a bit of oil until caramelized (about 10 minutes). You can skip this step if you want a simpler preparation.
- Add ingredients: Transfer the onions (if sautéed) to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours.
- Strain the veggies: Once done, strain the vegetables from the broth.
- Serve: Place sliced mushrooms and scallions in serving bowls, and ladle the hot soup over them.
- Optional: Add a splash of soy sauce or sriracha for an extra kick.
- These methods are perfect for when you want to simplify the process but still enjoy a delicious, flavorful soup!
Notes
•For Paleo or Whole30 versions, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
•Don’t discard the strained vegetables—reuse them in another dish!