• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Foreign Fork logo
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Search by Interactive Map
    • African Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • Central American Recipes
    • European Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • North American Recipes
    • Oceanic Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Search by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Breads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
    • Search by Ingredient
      • Beef Recipes
      • Chicken Recipes
      • Potato Recipes
      • Rice Recipes
      • Seafood Recipes
  • Culture Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Recipe for Posting
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Search by Interactive Map
    • African Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • Central American Recipes
    • European Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • North American Recipes
    • Oceanic Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Search by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Breads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
    • Search by Ingredient
      • Beef Recipes
      • Chicken Recipes
      • Potato Recipes
      • Rice Recipes
      • Seafood Recipes
  • Culture Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Recipe for Posting
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Japan » Japanese Clear Soup Recipes

    Japanese Clear Soup Recipes

    Published on May 16, 2023 Modified: May 15, 2023 by Alexandria Drzazgowski.

    Japanese clear soup is a flavorful broth that pairs perfectly with meat and vegetables and makes an excellent appetizer before meals. There are several different recipes available on the web and understanding the differences between them can help ensure you achieve the best flavor for making your own at home.

    A bowl of Japanese clear soup with green onions and mushrooms and a bowl of sliced green onions next to it.

    When you order a meal at most hibachi restaurants or your favorite Japanese restaurant, it is usually accompanied by a brown, thin soup, flavored with floating mushrooms and green onions.

    While this soup looks simple, it is full of savory, umami flavor that makes it a favorite among many hibachi dinners. 

    It’s called Japanese Clear Soup, but it may also be called Miyabi, hibachi soup, osumashi, sumashi, or Japanese onion soup. 

    The simple ingredients that go into the soup contribute their flavor but are then strained out, leaving a broth that is full of flavor and nutrients but won’t fill you up. 

    If you are planning your own Japanese feast, Japanese clear soup is a great appetizer for just about any meal, like Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe. The simple base of delicious broth makes it easy to add any fresh ingredients you want, depending on what is in season or what would compliment your meal the best.

    If you are looking for the best recipe, there are several different versions so let’s take a look at the differences.

    Jump to:
    • How to Make Japanese Clear Soup
    • Japanese Clear Soup Recipes
    • What is the Difference Between Japanese Clear Soup and Miso Soup?
    • Other meals + what to serve

    How to Make Japanese Clear Soup

    The biggest difference between different Japanese clear onion soup recipes is in the broth, but the cooking method is generally the same.

    Chefs start by sauteing and searing vegetables like carrots, onions, fresh ginger, and garlic. Water, broth, and sesame oil are then added to the pot and left to simmer. 

    The pot should simmer for at least an hour but some chefs will leave it for several hours and even overnight to release the most flavor possible. 

    Once the soup has simmered for plenty of time, the chunks are completely removed, leaving only the clear broth behind. 

    The clear broth is then topped with fresh ingredients which cook slightly in the hot broth. The toppings may include rice cakes, fish cakes, green onions, mushrooms, or more. In most American hibachi restaurants the soup is kept fairly simple with green onions and sometimes mushrooms.

    Japanese Clear Soup Recipes

    Below are some of my favorite Japanese Clear Soup Recipes and an explanation of what makes them different from one another. 

    Unbound Wellness

    A small japanese ladle of coconut aminos with chopsticks resting beside it.

    This recipe from Unbound Wellness calls for a mixture of beef broth and chicken broth or chicken stock. This produces a deep brown broth that may look familiar. 

    It also calls for coconut aminos which can be replaced with soy sauce. Most Japanese chefs will use light soy sauce to flavor their clear soup to keep the broth looking translucent.

    Cultured Table

    Small bowl of light colored chicken broth.
    close up of a bowl of chicken

    Some chefs swear that true Japanese clear soup should be a light color. To achieve this they use only chicken broth.

    Just One Cookbook

    Dashi seasoning in a packet with a small bowl showing what the spice looks like in front.

    Dashi is a very popular broth used in Japanese cooking. It’s made from dried kelp, dried anchovies or dried mushrooms, or sometimes a combination of all of these (I also use it in my Chicken Katsudon Recipe!).

    Some chefs will argue the most authentic miyabi soup cannot be made without good, high-quality dashi. This Japanese clear soup recipe uses dashi stock for its main flavor. It’s a great vegetable broth to use to make this healthy soup even healthier.

    Dashi may be a new ingredient for you but it is actually fairly simple to make at home with some dashi powder.

    What is the Difference Between Japanese Clear Soup and Miso Soup?

    Wooden spoon demonstrating what miso paste looks like.
    Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by soybeans.

    When you search for Japanese clear soup or Japanese onion soup, you may get many results for Miso soup. While both are thin Japanese soups with green onions that are served alongside a meal, they are very different.

    The main difference between clear soup and miso soup is that miso soup is eaten almost daily by most Japanese people, usually with breakfast. The clear soup is generally reserved for special occasions like Japanese New Year and festivals.

    Miso Soup is made with fermented soybeans that are made into a miso paste. The paste mixed into the broth makes for a cloudy soup. It is usually served with tofu, spring onions, and seaweed, but it may also be served with carrots, shiitake mushrooms, or peas. 

    Miso soup is slightly more filling than Japanese clear soup, especially when more vegetables are added. It is filling enough to be a complete meal, while clear soup is almost always served as a side or appetizer.

    Both soups are very low-calorie and contain many health benefits thanks to the meat broth and vegetables used in the cooking process. Many people turn to these simple soups for help with weight loss.

    If you have a favorite Japanese Clear Soup Recipe, please feel free to leave it in the comments! 

      Other meals + what to serve

      • What to serve with Ratatouille
      • What to serve with Ceviche
      • 16 Different Sushi recipes
      • What to eat with Sauerkraut
      • What to serve with Sushi at a Party
      • What to serve with German Sausage
      • Japanese Christmas Foods
      • Japanese Dinner Foods
      • Japanese BBQ vs Korean BBQ
      • Japanese Curry vs Indian Curry

    More Japan

    • Kani Salad in a large bowl surrounded by carrots, cucumbers, and a linen.
      Kani Salad: 5 Minute Spicy Crab Salad
    • chopsticks dipping a piece of Kani Sushi into soy sauce.
      Kani Sushi (Spicy Crab Sushi)
    • Slices of Rainbow Roll sushi with chopsticks and soy sauce.
      16 Different Sushi Recipes to Make for Sushi Night
    • slices of fresh salmon with radish and soy sauce on plate
      What To Serve With Sashimi

    Sharing is caring!

    5 shares

    Japan

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    What are you looking for?

    Welcome to The Foreign Fork, I'm Alexandria!

    And I am cooking one meal from every country in the world. 196 countries, and we’re cooking them all… Welcome to the adventure! 

    Learn More

    Footer

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Copyright © 2025 The Foreign Fork

    5 shares