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Hakata Motsunabe Recipe: Soy and Miso Broth, Prep and Noodles

This translation was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.

Hakata motsunabe combines beef offal with a mound of cabbage, garlic chives, burdock, garlic and chilli. The vegetables steam down into a soy- or miso-based soup enriched by the sweet fat from the motsu.

This four-person recipe explains how to choose and clean beef intestine, layer the pot, cook it safely and finish with champon noodles. Use processed ‘motsunabe’ offal if Japanese ingredient labels are unfamiliar.

Recipe at a glance

The traditional soy version is the easiest starting point.

Serves	4
Cooking time	About 40–50 minutes
Offal	500–600 g beef small intestine, large intestine or a prepared mix
Vegetables	Cabbage, nira garlic chives, burdock, tofu and garlic
Soup	Soy sauce or miso
Finish	Champon noodles, rice porridge or udon

Ingredients and soy broth

500–600 g beef motsu; half to two-thirds of a cabbage; one bunch nira; half a burdock root; one block firm tofu; 2–3 garlic cloves; sliced chilli and sesame.
Broth: 800 ml water, 2 tsp Japanese or flying-fish stock, 2 tsp chicken stock, 5 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp each sake and mirin, 1 tsp sugar and a little salt.
Finish: 2–3 portions of champon noodles.

Choose and prepare the motsu

Beef small intestine is fatty and gives the most recognisable Hakata texture. Shimacho has more bite and less fat. A cut, pre-cleaned mix is easiest for a first attempt.

Rinse briefly, blanch for 30–60 seconds and wash away foam and loose fat. Do not leave raw offal at room temperature. Frozen motsu should thaw in the refrigerator or under cold running water in its sealed bag.

Layer and cook the pot

Bring the broth to a simmer and add the prepared motsu. Layer shaved burdock and tofu, then pile on roughly cut cabbage. Place 5 cm lengths of nira on top and finish with garlic, chilli and sesame.

Cover for 8–10 minutes until the cabbage collapses and the offal is cooked through. Taste only after the vegetables release water; add soy sauce if weak or stock if too salty.

Miso variation and finishing noodles

For miso soup, use about 3 tbsp mixed miso, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, chicken stock and 800 ml water. Dissolve miso in warm soup instead of boiling it hard from the start.

After eating the meat and vegetables, skim only excessive fat, add champon noodles and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Rice and beaten egg make zosui; udon suits a stronger miso broth.

Safety and dietary notes

Offal must be cooked completely. Separate raw-meat tools, chill leftovers quickly and reheat thoroughly. The dish is not suitable for vegetarians, and common broth products contain soy, wheat, fish or chicken. Ask a butcher for gyu-motsu or motsunabe-yo if shopping in Japan.