"The basic Japanese soup that's given out as an appetizer at most Japanese restaurants. Very mild, a bit salty, and a touch of tang. It's a very improvisable recipe; most of the ingredients' quantities can be changed according to taste. Use your favorite mushrooms in this recipe."
Ingredients:
* 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/2 carrot, chopped
* 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
* 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
* 2 tablespoons chicken stock
* 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
* 1 cup chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms
* 2 quarts water
* 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Direction:
1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken stock, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes.
2. Place all of the remaining mushrooms into a separate pot. When the boiling mixture is done, place a strainer over the pot with the mushrooms in it. Strain the cooked soup into the pot with the mushrooms. Discard strained materials.
3. Serve the broth with mushrooms in small porcelain bowls, and sprinkle fresh chives over the top. Use Asian soup spoons for an elegant effect.
Ingredients:
1/4 lb thinly sliced pork
1/2 gobo (burdock root)
1/2 carrot
1 potato
1/4 negi/leek
3 1/2 cup dashi soup stock
3 tbsp miso (bean paste)
Preparation:
Shave gobo into short stripps and soak in water. Slice negi/leek diagonally. Cut carrot and potato into small chunks. Cut pork slices into bite-sized lengths. Saute pork, potato, carrot, gobo in a deep pan. Sponsored Links
Add dashi soup stock stop in the pan and simmer over medium heat. When vegetables are soften, add miso and negi and simmer for one minute and stop the heat.
Soups with anything but a broth base are a rarity in Chinese and Japanese households, but corn soups and pumpkin soups—favored Western imports—are the exception. (And any orange-fleshed squash might be called a "pumpkin.") Here, food editor Lillian Chou combines the two and gives them a boost of bracing freshness with lemongrass and cilantro; the result is velvety and light.
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients1 fresh lemongrass stalk, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 pounds kabocha or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (10 ounces; from 2 to 3 ears)
5 cups water
Garnish: cilantro leaves
Preparation
Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving a 6-inch stalk, then smash stalk with side of a large heavy knife.
Cook lemongrass, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt in butter and oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, corn, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemongrass.
Purée soup in 3 or 4 batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), straining each batch as blended through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Season with salt and pepper and reheat if necessary.
Cooks' note: Soup can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 133 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated), 8mg cholesterol, 445mg sodium, 3g fiber, 2g protein (nutritional analysis provided by Nutrition Data)
