Kenoshiru

Kenoshiru is one of the many country-style dishes originally from the Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture.
“Kenoshiru” is said to be a colloquialized form of “kayu-no-shiru” (rice soup).
A nutritious soup dish, kenoshiru uses a variety of ingredients; vegetables such as daikon, carrots, and burdock roots; mountain vegetables such as fuki (Japanese butterbur), warabi (bracken shoots), and zenmai (fiddlehead fern); and deep fried tofu or dried tofu. All ingredients are chopped finely and stewed with miso or soy sauce.
The original term “kayu-no-shiru” means rice soup. When rice was a luxury item, people cooked chopped vegetables and mountain vegetables to liken rice, this brought forth the dish of kenoshiru.
In the past, when wives returned to their hometowns for respite during the Little New Year or Women’s New Year on January 15th, it was customary for them to make a large pot of kenoshiro for their family to eat during their absence.
Today, the ingredients, the shapes of the ingredients, and seasoning all vary depending on the area and each household’s tradition. Some variations in ingredients include ground soy beans and konnyaku.