Japanese Tofu and Root Vegetable Soup
Nutritious and full of authentic Japanese flavor
- Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Ingredients(Servings: 4)
Directions
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Slice the daikon radish and carrot into quarter slices. Diagonally slice the negi. Use the back of a knife to scrape the skin off the gobo, thinly and diagonally slice, then place in cold water. Peel the satoimo and slice into half-circles. Remove hard stems from the shiitake mushrooms and quarter.
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Tear the konnyaku and firm tofu into bite-sized pieces. Parboil the konnyaku, then drain. Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, squeeze out the moisture, slice in half crosswise, then julienne.
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Heat the sesame oil in a pot and saute (1). Once the oil is spread throughout, add in (A), the konnyaku and aburaage and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to cook the ingredients. Lastly, add in the firm tofu and allow to come to a simmer.
Cooking Basics
Peel the skin of the carrot. Then remove the stem, cut in half vertically, and slice cut-side down at consistent widths from end to end.
The hard base, called "ishizuki" in Japanese, is the blackish tip at the end of the stem. Use a knife to cut or scrape off this portion.
Since the flavor of this root vegetable is located between the skin and the root itself, peel off the skin as thinly as possible. For recently picked and fresh roots in soil, a quick scrub with a natural bristle scrubber or vegetable brush is sufficient. For older roots that have become hard, scrape with the back of a kitchen knife to remove the skin. Burdock root has a high lye content. Cut and soak in water for about 5 to 10 minutes to remove excess lye. However if soaked for too long or if the water is replaced, the flavor also will seep out.
When satoimo are boiled or simmered, they becomes slimy and broth becomes murky and thick, so sprinkle on salt and rub all over before cooking satoimo. The recommended amount of salt is about 2 Tbsp per 5 to 6 satoimo. Place these into a pot, add plenty of water, and cook over high heat until bubbles begin to form. Rinse quickly in water to remove the sliminess. You can use this method to prepare dashi-flavored simmered dishes having clear, light broth.
Using a spoon to cut will result in a surface that is coarser than one cut using a knife, so flavor will be absorbed easier. You can also use your fingers to tear into bite-size chunks.
If you quickly place the yam cake into boiling water (parboil) the distinct odor of the yam cake will be removed, flavor and seasonings will be soaked up easier, and the rubbery texture will be refreshed. The appropriate boiling time is for 2 to 3 minutes in water that is at a rolling boil. Avoid over-boiling as this will result in hard yam cake.
Since these days high-quality cooking oils are used for deep-frying, it is not always necessary to remove excess oil. However, remove excess oil if there is an odor, and when you want the tofu to thoroughly soak up flavor. For quickly simmered dishes, place the deep-fried tofu into a strainer and pour boiled water all over it. For inari sushi (sometimes called inarizushi, stuffed fried tofu pouches) and simmered dishes with deep flavor, place the deep-fried tofu into boiling water and allow to boil for about 5 minutes before using.
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