Description
Light and savory Benihana onion soup recipe with onions, mushrooms, and scallions. A cozy, family-friendly Japanese-style starter.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup carrots, sliced
- ½ cup celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6–8 thin slices fresh ginger
- 1 cup mushrooms (shiitake or button), sliced
- ½ cup scallions (green onions), thinly sliced, divided
- 6 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or light dashi)
- 1–2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until onions are translucent. Stir in garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- Build broth: Pour in 6 cups broth and add 1–2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer 10–12 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add mushrooms and scallions: Stir in mushrooms and half the scallions. Simmer 3–5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
- Taste and balance: Season with salt and pepper. Add extra tamari if desired.
- Optional variations: Add thin chicken or shrimp slices, whisked egg ribbon, cooked rice, noodles, or zucchini noodles as desired.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining scallions.
Notes
- Use tamari and certified gluten-free broth for celiac-safe cooking.
- Vegetarian/vegan: use vegetable broth or kombu–shiitake dashi, and oil instead of butter.
- Keto/low carb: swap noodles for zucchini noodles, keep carrots lighter.
- Low sodium: start with low-sodium broth and finish with lemon or scallions instead of extra salt.
- Nutrition estimates are approximate and may vary based on ingredients used.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: benihana onion soup recipe