Tsukune Miso Nabe (Chicken-Meatball Hot Pot in Miso Broth) Recipe (2024)

I wouldn't use all tender greens! Those are going to go limp in the pot before people get around to eating them. Napa cabbage is a go-to in Japanese nabe because it stays relatively firm even when cooked for a long time. Asian spinach holds up well too.Instead of rapini (which I don't think I ever ate in Japan?) try chrysanthemum -- the queen of hotpot greens! -- or mizuna instead for a more authentic flavor if you want a tangy green. Mustard and yu choy are nice with chicken/ginger as well!

You can do anything you set your mind to!

Fresh out of yuzu shichimi togarashi, can I substitute Beat Kitano Takeshi?

Replacing chicken with fish: Sure, but for most (non-meaty) fish, reduce cooking time. Ideally, cut fish into bite-size chunks, cook them in the broth, remove after the color/opacity just changes: maybe 1-2 mins max. Japanese consume much of their fish raw (sushi/sashimi). Cooking helps squeamish palates, but don't overdo it: overcooked fish just falls apart. Surimi (like fish balls, imitation crab) uses binders like starch, egg white and transglutaminase to hold fish paste together.

My husband grew up in Japan so we cook nabe dishes at home quite often. I was excited to try this recipe and it did not disappoint. I doubled the broth ingredients so there would be more liquid and we cooked ramen in the remaining broth at the end. Next morning, I added some cooked rice and a scrambled egg to the broth for a hearty and warm breakfast. I have Ms. Moore's beautiful cookbook "Donabe" which has so many additional nabe recipes and ways to use this versatile cooking vessel.

If you are worried about the tender greens, then add them in about 60 seconds before you are finished.

Dan’s law: if I only have red miso at home every recipe I look at will require white miso!

https://www.spiceography.com/potato-starch-substitute/

In case anyone is wondering…yes, you need the potato starch in the meatballs. Cornstarch doesn’t work.

@Prakash Nadkarni ... true that fish is often eaten raw in Japanese cuisine, but it is used in soups .... seafood yosenabe (one of my major favs) is a fantastic mixture of fish along with seafood. Great way for chefs to use “past sashimi prime” raw fish. As noted, the fish chunks or slices can go in at the last minute or two (off heat works) so it stays tender and succulent. @baltimorep you can definitely use either or both ... maybe toss in some shrimp but at very end so they don’t overcook.

I made this exactly as written, using spinach at the end. Absolutely wonderful! Note to users unfamiliar with yuzu shichimi togarashi, you can get it at your local grocery store - McCormick spices label it as Japanese Seven Spice,with the Japanese name as subtitle underneath. Here in CA, both Ralphs (Kroger) and Vons (Albertsons, Safeway) carry it.

@Lynn - Very good points: as you correctly note, raw fish has to be very fresh or very well preserved to be safe to eat. Surimi, where cooked fish is flavored/shaped, is a Japanese invention. Also, several delicious fish are extremely bony, with thousands of hair-thin bones in the flesh. Cooking makes it much easier to remove them while eating.(Like with fresh crab, you have to be a very patient diner, and you have to use your fingers.)

I love this recipe! First time making it and it was a big success. It was so easy and pretty quick too, which is surprising since it tasted like it had been on the stove all day. I think it is very adaptable as well. I infused duck stock with some nori (no dashi on hand) and used red miso. Also used ground turkey. Meatballs were delicious and loved the texture of adding them directly to the soup. They were very delicate and they held together nicely. Huge hit with the family.

Absolutely love this soup and have now made it several times, typically with rapini. It takes me longer than 30 minutes with prep, but worth the time. Keeping hands wet definitely makes it easier to make the meatballs. It's nice that the meatballs cook right in the broth and there is no need to cook ahead like some other meatball soup recipes.

This was so so delicious on a cold winter day. I used rapini, which was perfect and reminded us of chrysanthemum greens, as well as tofu and maitake. I made double the broth and boiled ramen in it at the end. It was a hit!

Used a liquid dashi base (just add water) from my local Japanese market. Added thinly sliced carrots, pieces of ginger, and scallions along with the mushrooms, tofu and balls. Threw in the spinach at the very end, along with some yuzu kosho for some heat. 10/10 would make again! Looking forward to trying some variations on this one.

Made this today. Only had red miso, so reduced it a bit but should have reduced more - at least 1/3 less than white, I'd guess, particularly in the broth. Soaked dried mushrooms while preparing the dashi and then simmered them and some cabbage slivers before adding the rest. Only had tapioca starch for meatballs, and it worked fine. Added fresh arugula to the bowls and ladled the simmering rest over it - was plenty of heat to soften. This was good but next time I'll definitely do white miso.

I really liked this recipe. I had Hondashi and seaweed flakes so I used that with chicken broth. The chicken balls were sensational and I would make them again even if I were not to steam them in the broth. They could be pan sautéed or oven baked. I did buy chicken thighs and grind the meat myself. I think the extra flavor from the thighs was definitely worth the extra step of grinding.

We didn’t have tender greens on hand so started simmering savoy cabbage 10 minutes before adding the meatballs. Probably will go with the cabbage every time now—a delicious recipe.

In case anyone is wondering…yes, you need the potato starch in the meatballs. Cornstarch doesn’t work.

Really tasty and comforting. Would use ground chicken thigh next time instead of ground chicken breast.

Great - made some necessary alterations:Made a quick dashi with kelp and bonito. Only had ground pork and did not have potato starch so used an egg yolk to bind meatballs held together well and were delicious. Added minced garlic to broth. Coarsely ground the sesame seeds in mortar and pestle. Served with ramen noodles.

I love this recipe! First time making it and it was a big success. It was so easy and pretty quick too, which is surprising since it tasted like it had been on the stove all day. I think it is very adaptable as well. I infused duck stock with some nori (no dashi on hand) and used red miso. Also used ground turkey. Meatballs were delicious and loved the texture of adding them directly to the soup. They were very delicate and they held together nicely. Huge hit with the family.

Dashi package calls for a little less than 2 teaspoons, but I think one might be enough. Or one and a half.

This was delicious and I am excited to make it again!

Delicious. Loved it. Easily one of the most successful recipes I’ve tried from the NYTimes. I didn’t change anything, except I used fewer mushrooms and greens than it called for just because I didn’t have enough. It didn’t matter. I don’t have a donabe but used a Dutch oven like the recipe suggested. Worked fine. The ginger in the meatballs is an amazing pop of flavour in the delicate flavours of the soup. Will make again. And again.

I didn’t care for the texture of the meatballs in this recipe; I found them to be mushy. I will try sautéing them and browning them, and would then add to soup. Otherwise, I enjoyed the deep flavor of the soup.

Made this without the greens as the kids wouldn't eat them. Wonderful flavor and taste. I would add noodles to make it a fuller meal. The meatballs were such a hit, I'll be making double batches and packing over rice for lunch.