Sapporo Soup Curry Recipe

It is a thin and watery soup but still packs a spicy punch. A selection of fried vegetables and melt-in-your-mouth tender chicken tops the spicy curry along with a serving of rice.

Famous in the north of Japan, Hokkaido, soup curry warms your heart and soul. On top of this, it’s extremely nutritious and is one of the most popular dishes in Japan.

Soup curry:

• ½ onion
• ¼ carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 knob of ginger (2cm/ about 1 inch)
• 3 cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Soup seasonings:

• 1 piece Japanese curry roux
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sugar

Toppings:

• ½ pack shimeji mushrooms
• 1 eggplant
• ½ red bell pepper
• 1 chicken thigh, bone in
• (plus any extra vegetables you like)
• Japanese short grain rice

How to cook Soup Curry

How to make the soup curry base:

• Mix all the soup seasonings in a bowl.
• Mince the garlic and ginger.
• Dice the onions into 2 cm/ 1 inch pieces. Cut the carrots to a similar size using the Japanese ‘rangiri’ cutting method.
• Pat the chicken thigh dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil In a deep sauce pan, then sear the chicken thigh on both sides until golden brown. Take out and rest on a tray or plate.
• In the same sauce pan, on a medium heat, sauté the onions for around 5 minutes till translucent.
• Add the minced ginger, garlic and the carrots. Fry for 3 minutes.
• Add the soup seasonings in and the mix all together. Fry for 1-2 minutes to combine the flavors.
• Add the chicken stock and the chicken thigh. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom to remove all the golden bits, which will add more umami to the curry.
• Add the bay leaf and simmer for 45 minutes.
• After simmering, adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar if needed.

How to make the toppings:

• Add a neutral flavored oil to a saucepan and heat to 170 ºC/ 340° F.
• Cut all the vegetables into bite-size pieces.
• Lightly fry each vegetable till tender.
• Place on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
• Serve the soup with the chicken leg and top with the fried vegetables. Serve your rice on a separate plate and enjoy!