A Michelin Chef's Ultimate Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)

Peel the carrot thinly with a peeler, cut it in half lengthwise, then slice about 5mm thick. Keep it thick enough to have some bite rather than too thin.

Peel the daikon thickly and cut into quartered rounds about 5mm thick, the same as the carrot.

Cut the sweet potato into quartered rounds, slightly thick at just under 1cm. Thin pieces will fall apart while simmering.

Wash the burdock root well without peeling it, and once the dirt and fine hairs are off, cut into diagonal slices about 5mm thick. Next, cut the Japanese leek the same way, into slightly thick diagonal slices.

Trim the base off the enoki and cut into thirds, tearing larger ones by hand. Break up the shimeji and any other mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Keep the bean sprouts in water until use.

Cut the pork belly into bite-sized lengths (roughly into quarters).

Drain the root vegetables that have been soaking in water and parboil them in a pot. It is enough once the daikon turns translucent and the sweet potato turns yellow.

Add a slightly generous amount of sesame oil to a pot, add the pork belly, and stir-fry until browned.

Add the parboiled root vegetables, turn the heat to high, and coat everything in the oil. Then add the mushrooms and stir-fry together.

Pour in the kombu and bonito dashi and simmer until the ingredients are cooked through.

Stir in the miso. Since the soup is full of ingredients and rich in umami, going slightly light on the miso gives a more refined finish. Taste and adjust, and do not let it boil once the miso is in.

Keeping the soup hot, add the soybean sprouts just before serving, cook them briefly, and serve in bowls.