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Oshiruko Recipe: How to Make Japanese Dessert Soup

Name: Oshiruko Recipe: How to Make Japanese Dessert Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup dried azuki beans; ¾ cup sugar; Salt, to taste; 6 pieces *kirimochi*; Matcha green tea powder, for garnish (optional)

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Apr 25, 2022 • 2 min read

Oshiruko is a sweet Japanese bean soup that makes for the perfect winter dessert.

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What Is Oshiruko?

Oshiruko is a Japanese dessert soup made from sweet azuki beans (red beans) and topped with toasted mochi (rice cakes) or shiratama dango (glutinous rice flour dumplings). Traditionally, oshiruko is made from dried azuki beans cooked in several changes of water and topped with mochi leftover from New Year celebrations. Oshiruko can be made simply with canned anko (red bean paste), canned red beans, and packaged mochi from grocery stores.

Oshiruko vs. Zenzai: What’s the Difference?

Oshiruko and zenzai are both sweet red bean soups, but there are regional differences between these Japanese dishes. In the Kansai region of Japan, oshiruko refers to a smooth red bean soup, while zenzai refers to soups made with whole beans or with a coarser texture. In the Kanto region of Japan, which includes Tokyo, oshiruko refers to red bean soup of any texture. The city of Kyoto has many wagashi (Japanese sweets) shops and cafes that serve both oshiruko and zenzai.

Simple Japanese Oshiruko Recipe

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makes

prep time

20 min

total time

1 hr 10 min

cook time

50 min

Ingredients

1
Rinse the azuki beans and transfer to a medium pot.
2
Add enough water to completely cover the beans, and bring to a boil over high heat.
3
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
4
Drain the beans in a colander or fine-mesh strainer, discarding the cooking water.
5
Return the azuki beans to the pot with enough water to completely cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 more minutes.
6
Drain the beans again, discarding the cooking liquid once more.
7
Return the azuki beans to the pot with three cups of water, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
8
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until beans are very tender, about 30–45 minutes. Add hot water if needed to keep the beans completely covered.
9
Taste and add sugar and/or salt if needed.
10
If you desire a less watery consistency, mash some of the beans with a spoon, and allow to simmer for a few minutes with the lid off.
11
Meanwhile, carefully toast the kirimochi in a toaster oven, broiler, or frying pan until golden. If you prefer not to toast the kirimochi, add it to the bean soup in the last few minutes of cooking, or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. If using homemade or fresh mochi, skip this step.
12
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with mochi. Sprinkle mochi with matcha powder, if desired.

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