Home » Ozoni – Japanese New Year Mochi Soup (Kanto-Style) お雑煮
4.58(47)
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
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Enjoy hearty Ozoni(Japanese New Year Mochi Soup) for New Year’s Day breakfast. This version with clear broth hails from the Kanto region in Eastern Japan. Ozoni is one of the most popular and important dishes ofOsechi Ryori or traditional Japanese New Year foods.
Ozoni (お雑煮) is a mochi soup that we eat along with Osechi Ryori (traditionaldishes) onNew Year’s Day in Japan. The preparation for ozoni varies both by household and region.
I’ve shared the Kansai (western Japan) style Ozonirecipe before, sothis year I’m sharing Kanto (eastern Japan) style Ozoni.
Table of Contents
- The Kanto Style Ozoni
- How to Make Kanto-style Ozoni
- The Ingredients You’ll Need
- The Kansai-style Ozoni
The Kanto Style Ozoni
Unlike white miso-based Ozoni enjoyed in western Japan (Kansai, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions), clear dashi-based soup is the mainstream in Tokyo and eastern Japan (Read this post tolearnsome of the differences between eastern and western Japan.).
The soup includes toasted mochi, chicken, and komatsuna (小松菜) – Japanese mustard spinach, usually harvested in winter months.
How to Make Kanto-style Ozoni
The Ingredients You’ll Need
As each family has their own recipe, there are often colorful ingredients added like fish cakes (kamaboko), dried shiitake, and the carrot that is cut out in a pretty flower shape (here’s how to make it).
Some of the key ingredients for ozoni – such as komatsuna, yuzu (citrus), and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) –can be hard to find outside of Japan and you might need tosubstituteor skip.
Ifyou’re in the U.S., first check out large Japanese supermarkets likeNijiya,Mitsuwa, and Marukai, where they are usually fully stocked for New Year’s ingredients.
The Kansai-style Ozoni
If you’re interested in Kansai-style Ozoni with white miso, check out the video and recipe with step by step pictures.
Living outside Japan, it’s hard to recreate an authentic Oshogatsu (New Year’s Day) experience; however, I do try my best to keep the Oshogatsu spirit going with Japanese New Year’s decorations around the house, otoshidama (monetary gifts), and food.
Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! 良いお年を！
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Ozoni (Japanese New Year Mochi Soup – Kanto Style)
4.58 from 47 votes
Enjoy hearty Ozoni(Japanese New Year Mochi Soup) for New Year's Day breakfast. This version with clear broth hails from the Kanto region in Eastern Japan. Ozoni is one of the most popular and important dishes ofOsechi Ryori or traditional Japanese New Year foods.
Print RecipePin Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 chicken thigh (5.6 oz, 160 g; you can increase the amount if you‘d like; skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the chicken)
- 1 Tbsp sake (for the chicken)
- 4 stalks komatsuna (3.5 oz, 100 g; or use spinach)
- yuzu zest (optional)
- 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (optional)
- 4 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi)
For the Soup
- 4 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (I used Awase Dashi; you also could use adashi packet, dashi powder, orVeganDashi)
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
Before You Start: Please note that this recipe calls for homemade dashi that takes a minimum of 20 minutes to make. Please see my recipe for How to Make Dashi. If you don‘t have time to make this Japanese soup stock from scratch, you can usea dashi packetordashi powder.
I recommend prepping this recipe the day before you plan to serve. The next day, reheat the soup and add the mochi just before serving. For more helpful tips on planning your Japanese New Year feast, please read myA5-Day Osechi Cooking Timelineblog post.
Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ingredients
Cut 1 chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces (1 inch, 2.5 cm) and put them in a small bowl. Then, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Add 1 Tbsp sake and mix well with your hands. Let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, blanch 4 stalks komatsuna (or spinach) in boiling water and cook until tender (do not overcook). Remove from the pot and soak it in iced water to stop the cooking.
Squeeze the water out of the komatsuna and cut it into pieces 1½ inches (3 cm) long. Set aside.
Make a knot in the stem of each of 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (optional). Set aside for garnish. Next, peel 2–3 thick strips of yuzu zest (optional).
Flip the pieces over and remove any white pith. Then, slice the strips of yuzu zest into very thin julienned strips. Place on a small dish and set aside to serve as garnish later.
To Cook the Soup
Add 4 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) to a large saucepan or pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken pieces.
Cover to cook for 5–7 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
Once the chicken is cooked, skim off the foam and fat from the surface of the soup with a fine-mesh strainer.
Add 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Stir well and keep it covered on a simmer.
Once the soup broth and toppings are ready, place 4 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi) directly on the rack of a toaster oven and toast until puffy. You can also toast the mochi over an open flame, under a broiler, or in a frying pan.
To Serve
Serve the chicken and soup in individual serving bowls. Add one piece of toasted mochi on top of the soup in each bowl. Top with the komatsuna, mitsuba (optional) and yuzu (optional). Enjoy immediately.
To Store
Remove the mochi and store the leftover soup in an airtight container or in the pot; keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend toasting and adding the mochi to the soup just prior to serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Ozoni (Japanese New Year Mochi Soup – Kanto Style)
Amount per Serving
Calories
216
% Daily Value*
Fat
7
g
11
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
39
mg
13
%
Sodium
563
mg
24
%
Potassium
216
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
28
g
9
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
26
g
29
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
31
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
47
mg
5
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Namiko Chen
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: mochi soup, ozoni
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 26, 2015. It’s been republished on December 25, 2023.
Meet the Author
Namiko Chen
I'm Nami, a Japanese home cook based in San Francisco. Have fun exploring the 1000+ classic & modern Japanese recipes I share with step-by-step photos and How-To YouTube videos.
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