New Year's Day Ozoni Soup

Ozoni soup is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in Japan. The literal translation means a variety of ingredients boiled together.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 37 mins
• Total Time: 57 mins
• Calories: 348 Calories

Ingredients

• salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• 1 dash soy sauce, or to taste
• ½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 8 mochi rice cakes
• ⅜ ounce dashi-no-moto (broth seasoning)
• ¼ pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 12 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups coarsely chopped spinach (packed)
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick-size pieces
• 1 (2-inch piece) daikon radish, peeled and sliced into rounds (Optional)
• ¼ cup sliced bamboo shoots (Optional)
• 1 (2-inch piece) kamaboko (fish paste cake), thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water; let soak, about 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out water from mushrooms; slice.

Step 2

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler on high. Place mochi on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Broil mochi, turning frequently, until inflated, crisp, and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cut into 1-inch strips.

Step 4

Combine water and dashi-no-moto in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until dashi is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken, soy sauce, and salt; simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.

Step 5

Mix shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, daikon radish, and bamboo shoots into chicken mixture; simmer until vegetables are tender and shrimp is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Step 6

Divide mochi strips among 4 bowls and top with soup. Garnish soup with kamaboko slices.