Bamboo shoot soup is perfect for welcoming spring and the growth it brings!
ABOUT BAMBOO SHOOT SOUP
Bamboo shoot soup, called takenoko jiru (たけのこ汁) in Japanese, is one of the many recipes that utilizes bamboo shoots in Japanese cuisine. Bamboo shoots are one of the more famous vegetables among the mountain vegetables and are popularly used in the northern areas of Honshu. They have a rich taste, crunchy texture, and fresh fragrance. Many bamboo shoot soup recipes use miso as the base to pair with the smooth taste of the bamboo shoots and to add extra umami. For this recipe, however, I chose to simply use a chicken stock base and simple vegetables to ensure the flavor of the bamboo shoots truly shine through.
If you played Animal Crossing: New Horizons on release, then you may remember the bamboo shoots of the spring season in 2020. The bamboo diy series was always one of my favorites, so I was super happy that a bamboo shoot recipe was added to the game with the cooking update. I waited for spring to come to harvest bamboo shoots so I could make this recipe. However, it would unfortunately appear that I am pretty highly allergic to bamboo shoots. I happened to find out after eating bamboo shoots in hot pot during late 2020 and my throat began to close. It’s kinda funny looking back at it now, but it sadly means that I stopped eating it. 🙁 So for this recipe, I had my partner try it and it got official approval. I love the visuals of this soup, so I hope you try it out.
COMPONENTS OF BAMBOO SHOOT SOUP
- ☆ Bamboo shoots: Bamboo shoots are the star of the show in this dish!
- ☆ Broth: You can use a miso base for this soup if you like! I would use a little less miso than when making a typical miso soup, though. I used chicken bouillon which worked well with the other flavors in this dish.
- ☆ Vegetables or meat: Onion and green onion are popular choices for this dish. It is also common to add protein such as fish (mackerel), tofu, and eggs. I added bean sprouts as well. Their flavor is pretty mild, so I didn’t have to worry about it contrasting with the bamboo shoots.
INGREDIENTS (+ SUBSTITUTIONS)
This is a basic list and explanation of the key ingredients. For full list and measurements, please scroll down to the recipe below!
- ☆ Bamboo shoots
- Make sure to carefully pick a good one; ones more white or yellow in color are best. They are typically found in Asian grocery stores and sometimes already boiled. To get the beautiful lines inside, I recommend a plump bamboo shoot!
- ☆ Soup base
- As stated earlier, please use miso or other broths if you prefer!
- ☆ Vegetables
- I used onions, bean sprouts, and garlic solely because I like the flavors, aromas, and textures of these vegetables. You can totally omit or add any to suit your tastes!
MORE SAVORY JAPANESE RECIPES! ♡
- ☆ Aji Fry
- ☆ Spaghetti Napolitan
- ☆ Sushi Bento
- ☆ Onigiri
- ☆ Omurice
- ☆ New Year’s Noodles
- ☆ Ketchup Fried Rice
MORE SOUP RECIPES! ♡
If you recreate this Bamboo Shoot Soup recipe, please let me know by tagging me or leaving a comment on Instagram @maruryouri or TikTok @atsuryouri. I’d love to see your creations and hear your feedback!
Bamboo Shoot Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g bamboo shoot
- 60 g bean sprouts
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 600 ml water
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 2 teaspoons olive oil separated
- Salt to taste
- Green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the vegetables. First, slice the onion along the grain into thin strips and set aside. Then cut the bamboo shoot into bite-sized wedges. Mince the garlic and clean the bean sprouts by breaking off the ends or any brown parts.
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, heat up one teaspoon of olive oil and add the onions. Cook the onions until they start to become transparent and begin to brown. You should see some browning on the bottom and edges of the pot called the suc/fond.
- Add the water and bouillon and mix to combine. Let the broth come to a boil then reduce to medium heat and allow it to simmer while we work on the other vegetables.
- Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to a medium sized pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant before adding in the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Stir fry until the bamboo shoots soften then add back to the soup to continue cooking.
- After the bamboo shoots have been added into the soup, give it a good mix to help mix all the flavors together. Cook until the bamboo shoots are tender enough to poke through with a chopstick. Finally, season with salt to taste, top it with sliced green onions, and the bamboo shoot soup is done! 完成です！