What is Kasu Jiru?
Kasu Jiru (粕汁) is a historical dish from Hyogo Prefecture, a region known for its sake production. It’s a hearty soup made with sake lees—that’s the leftover rice from the sake brewing process—and root vegetables like daikon, carrot, and burdock root.
Fish is the traditional protein of choice, but this recipe features pork for a modern variation. Kasu Jiru is from the Kansai region but has since spread to other parts of Japan. Now, you can find regional variations of it throughout the Hokuriku and Tohoku regions.
Kasu Jiru is known for its comforting warmth and is especially popular during winter and around New Year’s. The soup’s origins are actually quite interesting. On January 20th (Hatsuka Shogatsu), the day after New Year’s, families would get together and use leftover salmon heads and yellowtail bones from their holiday meals to make a tasty stock. Then, they’d mix that stock with sake lees and vegetables.
So it was a meal that brought back the festive feeling and helped you get back to your daily life. A way to finish the New Year’s celebrations!
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Thinly Sliced Pork Belly: The sweet, rich fat in the soup really brings out its flavor. If you want to go traditional, you can substitute salmon, and for a lighter option, use chicken thigh.
- Sake Lees (Sake Market): These solid remnants from sake production are key to getting the authentic flavor. During the brewing process, about 25% of the rice becomes sake kasu.
- Dashi Stock: If you want the best results, use homemade dashi. If you’re short on time, dashi packets are your next best option. This recipe requires a lot of stock, so I suggest not using dashi granules. To go the extra mile and do it the traditional way, make your own fish stock using bones and scraps—this was the original method.
- White Miso: While other types of miso can work, sweet white miso is perfect for this soup.
- Light Soy Sauce: This gives it a light, savory flavor. If you only have dark soy sauce, use a bit more than the recipe says (about 10% extra), since it’s less salty than the lighter kind.
- Soup Vegetables and Add-ins: My version of the soup includes daikon radish, carrot, konnyaku, burdock root, and aburaage (fried tofu pouches). Feel free to customize it with other ingredients you have on hand—potatoes, sweet potatoes, regular tofu, or leeks work well too.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Kasu Jiru at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Heat up a medium-sized pot on medium and add some oil. Once it’s hot, add the pork belly and sprinkle with salt.
Cook it until the meat starts to brown and release its fat. This initial browning is what will create a foundation of flavor for the soup.
Throw in all the vegetables except for the konnyaku and aburaage, along with another dash of salt. Give it a stir-fry for about 2 minutes, making sure the vegetables are all coated in that tasty pork fat.
Pour in the dashi stock and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes.
Now, add the washed konnyaku and aburaage to the pot. Turn the heat down low and let it simmer for about 3 minutes.
STEP
Incorporating Sake Lees and Seasonings
Turn off the heat. Use a miso strainer (or a fine-mesh strainer) to gradually dissolve the sake lees and miso into the soup. This will help you avoid lumps and get a nice, smooth consistency.
Add the light soy sauce and stir gently to combine. Taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
Kasu Jiru (Sake Lees Soup)
Kasu Jiru is a nourishing soup made with sake lees and white miso. My version is packed with tender pork and root vegetables, bringing you a satisfying winter soup to enjoy on cold days.
Ingredients
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