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What is Zosui (Japanese rice soup)?
Zosui 雑炊 (also known as “Ojiya”) is a soupy rice dish made with simmered vegetables and chicken (or seafood), seasoned with soy sauce or miso. The soup is made separately, and then pre-cooked rice is added. It’s a comforting, filling, and wholesome dish, not to mention a great way to use up leftover rice and ingredients!
My recipe makes the soup from scratch, however it’s not unusual to add rice to the leftover soup of a hotpot (nabe) and call it “shime-zosui”. “Shime” means “to finish,” basically a way to finish the soup without waste.
While the procedure is completely different, you could kind of say that Zosui/ojiya is like a Japanese version of risotto, savory rice porridge or congee.
How I Developed This Recipe
Although often seen as a simple dish, Zosui can actually be an unforgettable meal. In developing this Zosui recipe, my goal was to make a dish you’d crave time and again.
The key was the flavor booster I created using chicken skin, adding a rich and savory depth that perfectly complements the zosui’s mildness. This addition transformed the dish into something special.
I invite you to try this recipe and experience how even a dish as humble as Zosui can be wonderfully satisfying and delicious!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Boneless Chicken Thigh: Skin-on is preferred. Alternatively, skin-on chicken breast can also be used.
- Dashi Broth: The base of the dish’s flavor. Opt for simple awase dashi, vegan dashi, or instant dashi granules or packets for convenience.
- Sake: Unsalted drinking sake is ideal for its clean taste. Cooking sake can be substituted, with an adjustment to the salt content. For further information on sake types and alternatives, a ‘Sake 101‘ article is recommended.
- Cooked Japanese Short-Grain Rice: Essential for Zosui. The How to Cook Japanese Rice Recipe details information on recommended Japanese rice varieties in the U.S. and cooking methods.
- Naganegi (Japanese Leeks): Use the white part, substituting with regular leeks if necessary.
- Other Vegetables: Include carrot, shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom, and ginger. Substitute with similar local vegetables if some are unavailable.
- Light Soy Sauce: For information on the differences between light and dark soy sauce, and brand recommendations, consult my soy sauce guide.
- Eggs: Medium-sized eggs are used in this recipe, but small or large eggs can be used as needed.
- Garnish: Finely chopped green onions, shredded sushi nori seaweed “kizami nori,” Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi), and sesame oil add finishing touches to the dish.
Because I’m currently living in Japan, I often use specific ingredients that are hard to get anywhere else. I lived abroad for a long time, so I know how frustrating it is not to be able to find the exact ingredient.
So in here, I will list all the substitutions for specific ingredients as much as possible.
- Chicken breast: if you want to use chicken breast instead of thigh, you can use skin-on chicken breast
- Salmon: if you prefer fish instead of chicken, you can use skin-on salmon fillet!
- Mushroom of your choice: even though I used shiitake and enoki mushrooms for this recipe, you can literally use any mushroom you like.
- Dark soy sauce: I specifically used light soy sauce for this, but if you don’t have it in your pantry, you can use dark soy sauce. However, because light soy sauce has more salt in it, use a tiny bit more when you use dark soy sauce
- If you don’t want to use sake: I know some people might not want to use alcohol in your cooking, in that case, you can omit sake.
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Perfect Zosui at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
STEP
Separate skin and meat
Pull the skin off of the meat and then cut everything into small pieces. The skin will be cooked first until crispy to add more flavor and texture to the dish.
STEP
Cut the vegetables thin
By cutting the vegetables finely, they will cook quicker and reduce the overall cooking time.
STEP
Cook the chicken
In a pot, heat oil and fry the chicken skin with black pepper until crispy. Once crispy, take them out for garnishing at the end.
I have recently become obsessed with using chicken skin to add depth of flavor to my dishes.
To achieve this, I separate the chicken thigh meat from the skin beforehand and cook the skin on low heat until it gets crispy and releases the amazing chicken fat. I then use this in my soup. This is why I specifically use chicken thighs with skin on in this recipe.
Depth of flavor is always important in any kind of chicken soup, and the crispy chicken skin in zosui also adds a bit of a different texture to the dish.
Then, add skinless chicken thigh pieces, dashi stock, and sake. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
STEP
Rinsing Rice
Yes, that’s right. We wash already-cooked rice under cold running water when you make zosui! And yes, I found it surprising, too, but there is a reason behind it.
If you prefer a sticky texture, you can use it as it is, but if you want it smooth (I personally do), you can rinse it quickly with water to wash off the sliminess on the surface.
The stickiness increases as it cools down, so cooked rice clumps together when left to stand. If this sticky rice is used to make zosui as it is, the excess starch on the sticky rice will dissolve into the soup, making the soup a bit slimy.
After a quick wash, drain the rice into a colander or other container.
Top tip
Put the cooked rice in a bowl with water and swish it gently with your hands so as not to crush the rice, then drain the water using a colander or sieve. This process rinses off the starch and prevents the entire dish from becoming too sticky and thick.
STEP
Add Vegetables
When the chicken changes color, add the rinsed rice, carrots, green onions, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, ginger, and light soy sauce.
STEP
Cooking with Eggs
Once the carrots soften, cook for 5 minutes. Whisk eggs and pour into the pot, cooking for 30 seconds before turning off the heat.
To achieve the silky texture of the eggs, turn off the heat for about 30 seconds after adding the eggs to the soup. The eggs will cook in the residual heat and this will result in a zosui with wonderful textures throughout.
If the eggs are cooked for a long time over a strong heat, they might become tough and rubbery.
Top tip
Don’t cook the egg too long to avoid a tough and rubbery texture.
Dish up the chicken and rice, garnishing with crispy chicken skin, chopped green onions, shredded sushi nori, Japanese chili powder, and a dash of sesame oil.
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FAQ
What is the origin of Zosui/Ojiya?
Zosui (雑炊) was once written in the old days as 増水 (increased water), indicating the addition of water to rice to increase its volume. Since various ingredients, such as vegetables and seafood, were added to the dish, the term 雑炊 (each character means assorted and freshly cooked) came to be used as an appellation for the soup.
However, the name origin of ojiya (another common name for the dish) is more interesting. Even though there are a few theories on the origin of the word ojiya, it is said to derive from the Spanish word “olla” (oja), which means a pot dish or stewed dish.
It is believed that olla looks similar to ojiya, and the “jiya-jiya” comes from the onomatopoeia for the sound it makes when simmering. This may have led to the name “ojiya” we know today.
Zosui vs Ojiya: what are the differences?
While they’re generally considered to be the same thing, some regions in Japan might disagree.
To some people, zosui is a dish where the cooked rice is washed to remove the stickiness /sliminess, which means that the stickier version (where the cooked rice isn’t washed) is called ojiya. On the other hand, some people might say that rice seasoned with miso or soy sauce is called ojiya, whereas rice seasoned with salt or dashi is called zosui.
What I want to say here is there is no concrete definition for each term. These distinctions vary from region to region and household to household, and there are no clear rules, so basically, “zosui” and “ojiya” are the same thing.
Zosui vs Okayu: what are the differences?
Unlike zosui vs ojiya, there is a clear difference between zosui and okayu, meaning they are not the same dish. Okayu (お粥) is basically a dish made by cooking raw rice in large amounts of water until the consistency is extremely soft. No precooked rice is used in okayu.
It is often seasoned simply with salt only (or sometimes with eggs), and because it is easily digestible, it is considered an easy-to-eat dish for children and the elderly, as well as comfort food to eat when you’re sick.
On the other hand, zosui uses already-cooked rice and other ingredients such as vegetables, chicken, or seafood. Zosui is a great dish for using up leftovers.
I hope you enjoy this Chicken Zosui 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!
More Japanese Soup Recipes
- Chicken Miso Soup (Torijiru)
- Japanese Clear Soup (Osuimono)
- Ozoni (New Year’s Soup with Mochi)
- Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup)
- Kenchin Jiru (Traditional Japanese Vegetable Soup)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Soup Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Chicken Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup)
5 from 3 votes
By Yuto Omura
Zosui is a comforting dish made with cooked rice served in a delicious soup flavored with soy sauce or miso. My recipe is made with succulent chicken thigh, crispy chicken skin and umami-rich mushrooms for the ultimate flavour. This will be the best zosui you will ever try!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 227
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 227
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Ingredients
- 150 g boneless chicken thigh(s) skin-on, boneless
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 400 ml dashi stock
- 1 tbsp sake
- 200 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice see my recipe, how to cook Japanese style rice
- 30 g green onion(s) white part diagonally sliced
- 80 g carrot(s) julienned
- 2 fresh shiitake mushroom(s) thinly sliced
- 100 g enoki mushroom(s) roots removed
- 15 g fresh ginger grated
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce see note for how to use dark soy sauce
- 2 medium egg(s)
- finely chopped green onion(s) optional garnish
- shredded sushi nori seaweed “kizami nori” (kizami nori) option garnish
- Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) optional garnish
- sesame oil optional garnish
Instructions
Peel the skin off of 150 g boneless chicken thigh(s), cut the meat into small pieces and the skin into bitesize pieces.
Heat up a large pot on medium-low and add 1 tsp cooking oil. Once heated, add the chicken skin with 1 pinch black pepper and fry until crispy on both sides.
Once the skin is crispy, add 400 ml dashi stockand1 tbsp sake. Alternatively, you can remove the skin and use it for sprinkling at the end. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and add the chicken thigh.
Place 200 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice in a bowl and fill it with fresh cold water. Swish it around with your hand to gently remove the excess starch and then pour it through a sieve or colander to drain the water.
When the outside of the chicken is sealed, add the rice, 80 g carrot(s), 30 g green onion(s), 2 fresh shiitake mushroom(s), 100 g enoki mushroom(s), 15 g fresh ginger and 3 tbsp light soy sauce.
Once the carrots are slightly softened, set a timer for 5 minutes. During this time, crack 2 medium egg(s) into a small bowl and whisk.
Pour the whisked egg around the pot and set a timer for 30 seconds.
When 30 seconds are up, turn off the heat and dish up.
Garnish with the chicken skin from earlier, finely chopped green onion(s) (green part), shredded sushi nori seaweed “kizami nori” and Japanese chili powder (according to your tastes) and a dash of sesame oil.
Enjoy!
Keyword chicken ojiya, chicken zosui, how to make chicken zosui, how to make ojiya, Japanese congee, Japanese rice soup, ojiya, ojiya recipe, zosui recipe, zosui vs ojiya, zosui vs okayu
Notes
If using dark soy sauce as a substitute, add an extra ½ tbsp for every 3 tbsp of light soy sauce.
Can also be made with skin-on salmon fillets.
Chicken skin process is optional (but I highly recommend it!)
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.4g | Protein: 11.8g | Fat: 8.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 984.3mg | Fiber: 2.7g
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