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Home » Recipes » Soups

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese Mushroom Soup)

Published: Sep 12, 2024 | Modified: Jun 26, 2025 By Ryo Hikita | Leave a Comment

Why not try Kinoko Jiru, a Japanese mushroom soup rich in umami? This comforting dish features a variety of mushrooms simmered in dashi broth, offering complex flavors and textures.

↓ Step-by-Step Recipe  

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese mushroom soup)
Jump to:
  • What is Kinoko Jiru?
  • Mushroom varieties used
  • Optional ingredients
  • Choosing the right dashi
  • 📋Step-by-step recipe
  • More mushroom recipes you'll probably love
  • Recipe card

What is Kinoko Jiru?

Kinoko Jiru is a Japanese mushroom soup made with a variety of mushrooms simmered in dashi broth. "Kinoko" means mushrooms, and "Jiru" refers to soup. Using different types of mushrooms allows the flavors to meld together, creating a flavorful and umami-packed dish.

Traditionally, this soup was enjoyed in the fall when mushrooms are in season in Japan. However, now that mushrooms are available year-round, it has become a common choice for everyday meals. You can use any type of mushroom you like. Enjoy the complex flavors, textures, and nutritional benefits of mushrooms by using your favorite varieties.

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese mushroom soup)

Mushroom varieties used

There are no specific rules about which mushrooms to use in kinoko jiru. The more varieties you add, the richer and more flavorful the soup will be. Typically, some of the following types of mushrooms are used in this dish:

  • Shiitake
  • Enoki
  • Shimeji
  • Maitake
  • Nameko

While you can make this dish with just one type of mushroom, combining different varieties allows you to enjoy a more complex character. The mushrooms don’t necessarily have to be Japanese varieties—you can use any kind available in your area.

Optional ingredients

This mushroom soup can also be enjoyed with a variety of additional ingredients.

Common additions include vegetables like naganegi (Japanese leeks), carrots, and daikon radish, as well as aburaage (deep-fried tofu) and chicken. In this recipe, I used aburaage to add richness to the flavor.

However, since mushrooms are the star of the dish, it is best not to add too many extra ingredients. These additions are optional—this dish can also be made with just mushrooms. Feel free to add whatever you like.

Choosing the right dashi

Kinoko jiru is a soup that combines the umami of dashi broth and mushrooms to create a rich, delicious flavor. There are various types of dashi, and you can use any of them, but for this soup, I highly recommend using bonito dashi. Since this dish doesn't contain meat or other animal proteins, using bonito dashi—which is made from fish—adds an extra layer of depth to the flavor.

That said, this is just a suggestion to enhance the dish. No matter which type of dashi you choose, you can still make a delicious kinoko jiru. If you follow a plant-based diet or prefer to avoid animal-based dashi, try using a different type, such as kombu dashi.

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese mushroom soup)

📋Step-by-step recipe

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Recipe Card

Ingredients

Servings: 2

US Customary - Metric
  • 1.4 oz shiitake mushrooms
  • 1.4 oz enoki mushrooms
  • 1.4 oz shimeji mushrooms
  • 0.7 oz aburaage (deep-fried tofu)
  • 1 green onion / scallion

Bonito dashi:

  • 2 cup water
  • ½ cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Seasonings:

  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp soy sauce

You can also use different types of mushrooms, or increase or decrease the number of varieties you use.

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Instructions

🕒 Total: 15 mins mins

If you already have bonito dashi or another type of dashi, start from step 3. In that case, use 1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) of your dashi for 2 servings.

kinoko jiru_instruction-1

Step 1
Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, add bonito flakes, and let it simmer for 3 minutes.


kinoko jiru_instruction-2

Step 2
Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or a cloth (such as cheesecloth). Alternatively, if you don't mind some fine bonito flakes remaining, you can simply use a fine-mesh strainer. Bonito dashi is now ready.


kinoko jiru_instruction-3

Step 3
Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Trim off the base of the enoki and shimeji mushrooms, and separate them into smaller stalks or individual pieces. Thinly slice the green onion.


kinoko jiru_instruction-4

Step 4
Return the dashi to the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add all the mushrooms, aburaage, and sake, and let them simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, add salt and soy sauce, and let the flavors blend.


kinoko jiru_instruction-5

Step 5
Return the dashi to the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add all the mushrooms, the aburaage, and sake, and simmer them over low heat for 3 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, add salt and soy sauce, and let the flavors blend.


kinoko jiru_instruction-6

Step 6
Serve in individual bowls and top with the green onions.


To store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese mushroom soup)

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please consider leaving a review and star rating in the comments below. If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.

More mushroom recipes you'll probably love

  • Yaki Shiitake (Sautéd shiitake mushrooms)
  • Karikari Enoki (Crispy Japanese enoki mushrooms)
  • Karikari Maitake (Crispy Japanese maitake mushrooms)
  • Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms

Recipe card

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese mushroom soup)

Kinoko Jiru (Japanese Mushroom Soup)

Why not try Kinoko Jiru, a Japanese mushroom soup rich in umami? This comforting dish features a variety of mushrooms simmered in dashi broth, offering complex flavors and textures.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 4 minutes mins
Cook Time: 11 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1.4 oz shiitake mushrooms
  • 1.4 oz enoki mushrooms
  • 1.4 oz shimeji mushrooms
  • 0.7 oz aburaage (deep-fried tofu)
  • 1 green onion / scallion

Bonito dashi:

  • 2 cup water
  • ½ cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Seasonings:

  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, add bonito flakes, and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-1
  • Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or a cloth (such as cheesecloth). Alternatively, if you don't mind some fine bonito flakes remaining, you can simply use a fine-mesh strainer. Bonito dashi is now ready.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-2
  • Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Trim off the base of the enoki and shimeji mushrooms, and separate them into smaller stalks or individual pieces. Thinly slice the green onion.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-3
  • Place the aburaage in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over it to remove excess oil. Remove it from the bowl, and once it has cooled enough to handle, drain off the water. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it into thin strips.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-4
  • Return the dashi to the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add all the mushrooms, aburaage, and sake, and let them simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, add salt and soy sauce, and let the flavors blend.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-5
  • Serve in individual bowls and top with the green onions.
    kinoko jiru_instruction-6

Notes

  • You can also use different types of mushrooms, or increase or decrease the number of varieties you use.
  • If you already have bonito dashi or another type of dashi, start from step 3. In that case, use 1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) of your dashi for 2 servings.
  • You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 72.12kcal Carbohydrates: 11.21g Protein: 5.96g Fat: 0.27g Saturated Fat: 0.01g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g Cholesterol: 1.68mg Sodium: 657.38mg Potassium: 249.91mg Fiber: 2.37g Sugar: 1.92g Vitamin A: 59.82IU Vitamin C: 2.85mg Calcium: 31.6mg Iron: 1.18mg
Author: Ryo Hikita (Umami Pot)
Cuisine: Japanese
Category: Dashi, Quick, Soups, Traditional
Keyword: enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushroom, shimeji mushrooms
Enjoyed this recipe?I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.

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Ryo-Hikita_UmamiPot

Welcome to Umami Pot!

I'm Ryo, a Japanese culinary expert living in Osaka, Japan. Here, I would like to share with you how to make Japanese dishes actually enjoyed in Japan, from traditional to modern, as clearly, concisely, and deliciously as possible.

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